In the Eye of Tigress
by Ether Slaythan
Summary: We've followed the Panda's side of the story. But we all wonder - what goes on beneath the hard-core exterior of Master Tigress? What made her decide to respect the Dragon Warrior? Does she ever accept that she's the child Shifu loved less? How does she harness her Chi to save the Panda she learns to call her friend? A Tigress Character Study. Her POV across the KFP films.
1. Chapter 1: The Choosing

I do not own _Kung Fu Panda_, the characters, dialogue, names, or concepts.

CHAPTER ONE

The Choosing

Her heart would have been pounding, if she hadn't mastered any kung-fu warrior's most vital asset of internal calm – and really, really deep breathing.

She had no reason to be out of breath. She hadn't even begun to demonstrate her skill fighting the iron ox and his blades of death, when Oogway raised a hand.

But the hush that had fallen over the courtyard of the Jade Palace was enough to tempt her nerves on edge. With a nod from her Master Shifu, she lead the others into line. She snuck a quick glance to watch her four comrades dart to their places, and then stood absolutely still.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace," Shifu announced. "Master Oogway will now choose The Dragon Warrior."

There was a hushed buzz as Oogway slowly descended the stairs toward them. She tried to slow her racing thoughts with another deep breath. She was right where she belonged. Here, and now. Whoever he chose, she would be content – because whoever he chose, that master would become the Dragon Warrior – and, perhaps, finally bring contentment to Master Shifu. If Shifu was happy, so would she be. But she didn't deny to herself that in her heart, she yearned to be the one to finally bring him joy.

She was not Tai Lung. She could never be.

She would be better. The one Shifu got right.

She wanted to empty her mind in a familiar meditative practice, but in this moment, this one moment that she had been waiting for since childhood, this one moment that would define the rest of her life, she found that she couldn't. Her tail twitched gently. She couldn't stop herself from remembering the faces of the children who had shunned her, of the would-be parents who ignored her, and every other being in the Valley who cheered for her from a distance but kept her at arm's length when up close. All of them – except for Shifu, her Master, who had chosen her.

Shifu had dedicated his life to the Dragon Scroll. He himself had trained with the hope of one day attaining it. Then he trained Tai Lung to be everything he couldn't, and when Tai Lung failed – he chose her. And later she – albeit at the time unknowingly - chose her four comrades and became the leader of the Furious Five. She would not fail him. This time, he would fulfil his destiny, and she would fulfil hers. This time, she would be feared only by their enemies, and revered by all who had witnessed this day. This time, she would be chosen for all time.

She could feel it in her bones. A small smile came to her lips and her heartbeat steadied. Oogway had finally stepped onto the courtyard, listening only to the Universe as he moved with its rhythm.

And it was moving him closer and closer to her.

She dared not look up at Shifu. This was the moment she had been training for – the moment she had been waiting for her whole life. This was not pride – this was the fulfillment of a prophecy, this was a student finally about to make her beloved master proud. She took one more deep breath, as Oogway stood before them and –

The palace wall blew up.

At least, that's what it sounded like.

She turned to see fireworks exploding from behind the wall - and then – it looked like the flaming tail of an enormous dragon, a massive white ball of fire erupting and speeding up into the sky.

The crowd around them oohed and aahed as it grew, blasting colors and flames in a beautiful star above them. It was so bright she almost had to squint - And just as suddenly as it began, the light came soaring toward – no, a large blob flailing from the source was falling down to the courtyard –

Oogway didn't seem to notice the spectacle at all, he was so deep in tune with the Universe… He just kept walking towards her. She would have to do something – she looked up. For a brief moment, she had the strange thought that the falling blob looked like a Taijitu symbol – no, the blob wasn't just a blob, it was something – some_one_ enormous – and it was screaming. Tigress immediately took a defensive stance, one arm held back ready to strike and the other extended. Was it some villain come to the palace to attack –

And then the animal smashed to the ground right in front of her feet before she could even finish forming the question.

She stepped closer, still on guard. Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis gathered around it too, just as startled as she was. They looked at this enormous mountain of an animal. It was a giant panda – and totally unconscious, sprawled after having crashed on its stomach with its tongue lolling out. What was this - ?

She was still preparing for any kind threat from this gigantic fluffy bear so she hardly noticed when Oogway took one more step, lowered his claw, and opened his eyes.

The panda started to blink. "Wha…" she watched as it gazed, unfocused, first at Mantis, at Viper and Monkey, then at Crane, and then at her… and then at Master Oogway's outstretched claw. "Where you pointing…" it mumbled dazedly.

There was no controlling her inner state of calm now. Her heart was pounding. Master Oogway was pointing…

"Ooh!" The panda exclaimed. "Okay! Sorry." He scooched away from him, holding up an apologetic paw. "I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was."

Tigress finally lowered her stance. This was a new level of disrespect – practically blowing yourself up as a spectacle in front of the entire valley, interrupting the most important ceremony in living memory just to say you were there when it happened? This was self-absorption at its highest – but for all his idiocy, the pudgy panda was no threat.

And it looked like he was about to get his wish anyway… the Dragon Warrior was about to be chosen. Still pointed in her direction, Oogway's claw raised again as the panda stood up to get out of their way.

"How interesting…" Oogway whispered, gazing at the bear.

Patience was a virtue she had practiced for twenty years. But it was one she was willing to let go of right now. "Master, are - are you pointing at me?" she said carefully, stepping forward.

"Him!" Oogway said.

She blinked. Sure enough, as the panda moved aside, Oogway's claw followed – and it followed again when he shifted to stand in front of her.

Him…?

"Who?" the panda said.

Wait… this round, lardy, smelly panda, was…?

"You!" Oogway said, and smiled.

"Me?!"

Tigress backed away. She could feel her cheeks heating up as her heart continued to race. This is what she got for assuming Master Oogway's intentions… but still, it couldn't be that…

Oogway stepped forward. He announced for the whole Valley to hear: "The Universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" And he raised the panda's paw with his staff.

"What?" the panda's eyes went as wide as rice bowls.

"What?!" her comrades exclaimed.

As a warrior and master, Tigress often strove for a cool, undisturbed demeanor in the face of any challenge. But today she growled. This fat, self-inflated panda… was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior?

"What!" Shifu exclaimed.

Tigress looked up. Master Shifu…

Then the palace servant pig rang the bell, and the entire Valley cheered as the band erupted into joyous music and confetti fell from the rooftops.

No… No, no, no… this couldn't be happening… This was some horrible mistake… She felt Viper's eyes shift to glance at her, but she couldn't meet them. Twenty years of her life training until her bones thickened, her skin hardened, and her life altered until she lived and breathed kung-fu for Shifu, her master, all to make him proud and bring him joy, as she had promised herself to do ever since he had rescued her… and all to disappoint him when it mattered the most.

It felt like the ground had fallen from under her feet… but Crane met her eyes, turned to face Master Oogway and the panda, and bowed. And Tigress followed suit.

Only when she heard Shifu's agitated tones did she sneak a glance up. He was gesticulating wildly at Oogway as the pigs and geese marched the panda up to the palace stairs in the ornate sedan chair until it couldn't handle his weight anymore – it snapped, and he totally fell through.

This was unbelievable.

After the palace servants somehow managed to carry him away, she looked up at her fellow masters to find that they were already looking at her, holding their breaths. Her heart dropped, and she felt an awful lump form in her throat. Shame crawled its way to her face in the form of another flush – shame for herself, for her comrades, for… Tears might have crept to her eyes too, if she hadn't taken another deep breath, given them a nod, and turned toward Master Shifu, whose back was to them.

She inhaled. "Forgive us, Master." She closed her eyes and lowered herself, bowing. "We have failed you."

"No."

She looked up as Master Shifu turned. Was he…

"If the panda has not quit by morning," he said with firm resolve, "then I will have failed you."

She felt more water spring to her eyes and bowed again to hide her face. They would not let this… _imposter_ steal everything they had worked for, everything they had fought for their entire lives, right from under their noses. Master Shifu would not allow such a dishonor to any of them. And soon she would be able to prove to him and to everyone that she had not been chosen in vain.


	2. Chapter 2: Belonging

CHAPTER TWO

Belonging

"What was Oogway thinking? The poor guy's just gonna get himself killed!"

Tigress marched behind her comrades, her head bowed. What an unbelievable day it had been. It had started like any other day at the Jade Palace – a routine wake-up call followed by intense training. Then, after hundreds upon hundreds of years of waiting, with no warning or explanation, Oogway suddenly was ready to choose the Dragon Warrior. And just as suddenly, she was faced with the greatest opportunity of not only her life, but of many lifetimes of many valiant warriors. The greatest honor of the Dragon Scroll was practically within her reach. Oogway had been standing in front of her - but a giant panda who had never studied kung-fu a day in his life literally launched himself into the sky, and got to claim the renowned title.

At first all Tigress had felt was a deep embarrassment, and utter shame. She had failed her master. A panda from the valley had been chosen over her… even though he was clearly unfit for the title, in every sense of the word. You could tell just by looking at him. But after seeing him fail abysmally in the training hall, it all just seemed ridiculous; it should have been laughable, only she didn't feel like laughing. Instead, seeing this panda traipse around the hallowed palace grounds, do mock impressions of them in front of a punching-bag dummy, and wreak havoc in their training arena filled her with a white hot rage that, truthfully, frightened her a little.

"He is so mighty," Crane said, extending a wing as if he was about to proclaim a great legend of old, "he fell out of the sky… on a ball of fire!"

But Oogway was wise. He believed in fate and destiny. Who was she to question his choice? But still… the flabby panda as the Dragon Warrior was such an outlandish idea that even Shifu questioned his master on this one. Unlike the contents of the coveted Dragon Scroll, the fact that Oogway was pretty high up there in years was no secret – nor was the fact that his great age gave him not only wisdom, but also a kind of… eccentricity. And, truthfully, when all was said and done, Tigress had pledged her loyalty to Master Shifu. What he fought for, she fought for. What he believed in, she believed in. And, what he didn't…

"When he walks, the very ground shakes!" Mantis continued, and the others chuckled.

Tigress scrunched her nose. What an apt image. What a cruel joke it all was. "One would think," she said, moving past them, "that Master Oogway would choose someone who actually knew kung-fu."

"Yeah, or could at least touch his toes." Crane's sardonic tones followed her as she continued up the mountain.

"Or even see his toes," Monkey muttered next.

She sighed. She knew she wasn't the only one bitterly disappointed by the bizarre events of today. Truthfully, she would have been content if one of the other Five had been chosen – not just out of pride from being the one who had found them, but from the knowledge that her fellow masters would indeed be worthy of such a title, if Oogway saw it fit. But the panda…? The fact that he even thought he had a right to just walk in, claim their desired title of Dragon Warrior, and carry on among them - completely ignorant and untrained in any of the martial and meditative Art to which they had dedicated their lives - was downright insulting.

Tigress was so busy fuming, she hardly noticed the others bidding her and each other goodnight; albeit with noticeable despondence. She marched to her room and shut the doors, not bothering to light a candle. The sooner she got to sleep, the sooner she could put this awful day – and this awful rage – behind her.

No. She couldn't just go to sleep like this. She paced by her bed, her tail flicking behind her. Harboring ill feelings would not make for a restful night… and if she wasn't careful, she could let her sense of injustice go to her head, and… well. She was not like Tai Lung. She would not act out in violence. But even the most honorable sense of injustice could turn to resentment. The panda did not deserve the Dragon Scroll, but neither would she if she didn't learn to let go.

She silently crouched on floor, weight on her haunches, then sat up straight in her meditative posture. She closed her eyes. She returned to her steady breathing, and let go of each thought as it came. Master Oogway descending the stairs… exhale. Inhale… Master Oogway raising the panda's paw… exhale. Master Shifu's devastated face… Inhale… Exhale. She would find a way to let it go. Inhale… exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

"OOmf!"

Tigress's eyes shot open. Something massive had broken through the floorboards in the hall outside. She took a sharp inhale.

The panda. Massive indeed.

She closed her eyes again and exhaled as he clattered over the broken floorboards, then creaked like an overgrown elephant parading on its tiptoes down the hall. It took everything in her to stifle a groan as he shoved open his bedroom door –

"Oh! Uh, hi, you're up!"

"Am now," she heard Crane respond. Good Masters above, the panda had just waltzed into Crane's room. Couldn't he even pretend to have some respect?

She heard the panda's voice bound up and down in animated chatter. His tone was muffled by the distance of several screens, but not enough to keep her from hearing every word; or to keep her temper from rising.

"That kung-fu stuff is hard work, right? Are your biceps sore?"

Tigress gave a forceful exhale. Who did he think he was? Someone ought to tell him –

No. She inhaled. It was not her place. And Master Shifu would make sure the panda knew his. She wouldn't waste her energy interfering with someone who would never take her, her Master, or kung-fu seriously.

"Hiya!" The panda yelled. Her eyes shot open again at the sharp sound of parchment ripping. He definitely had just punched a hole in Crane's room.

"Oh! Sorry about that," she heard the panda say.

"Look, you don't belong here," Crane said. Tigress's heartbeat slowed. Good. He was speaking up. She knew the people-pleaser in Master Crane could at times keep him from saying what he really thought. But if there was any time more appropriate to say it…

The panda's voice got quieter for a moment. "I know, I know…" He sounded so deflated it had to be sarcastic. As if Master Crane could tell him nothing new… She twitched an ear as he started to mumble.

"No no no, I meant, you don't belong _here_, I mean in this room," Crane interjected, more loudly. "This is my room. Property of Crane! Heh heh…"

"Ooh," the panda said.

Oh, Crane…

Her tail swung to the side. Her heartbeat was all out of rhythm. Meditating was not going well.

Tigress fixed her eyes on the big round shadow as it hovered by Crane's door. Their entire world had been disrupted because of this one idiotic panda. Crane should not have put up with that. None of them should have to put up with him – least of all, Master Shifu.

Her tail swung around again as the panda resumed his orchestra of creaks down the hall. She stood up. She would interfere. For everyone's peace of mind. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and pulled her doors open.

"Master Tigress!" the panda flinched back. "Didn't mean to wake you, just uh…"

"You don't belong here," she said.

"Uh, yeah, yeah." He held up his fat paws with an air of cockiness. "Of course. This is your room," he said, his big eyes darting over her shoulder.

"I mean," she cut him off, leaning in front of him to block his shameless ogling, "you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You're a disgrace to kung-fu and if you have _any_ respect for who we are, and what we do…" she stood above him, her face inches from his, "you will be gone by morning." And before he could even think to respond, she closed the door in his face.

She walked over to her bed in silence. She let out a slow, tense breath. And then –

"Big fan," the panda said loudly. And with heavy irony.

Her ears flattened and she narrowed her eyes. If he dared burst into her room next, she would not hesitate to remove him herself.

But he didn't. He didn't even creak away on his giant tiptoes, he just walked away… without a sound.

She had done it. She sighed, then shivered. It was a cool night. Autumn must be on its way, and summer almost gone.

And now, so was the panda.

She laid back on her bed and pulled up a blanket. She ignored a growing unease curling its way through her stomach. With him gone, everything would return to normal, and she would be able to rest with the knowledge that the Dragon Warrior title would belong to someone worthy. Soon, she would belong here not just as a master, but as the one worthy of Master Shifu's utmost pride… maybe even joy.


	3. Chapter 3: Before and Since

CHAPTER THREE

Before and Since

Tigress opened her eyes. She had to squint because the light coming through her door was so blindingly bright – like white hot fire – but then, when her eyes adjusted, she saw the silhouette of a small, stocky animal with a bushy tail and enormous ears.

She felt a sharp pain sear her heart, and she finally let her furious temper rise to its full height. "I am Tigress! The Monster!" she yelled.

_Monster… monster… monster…_

The word echoed around them until at last the door shut and the room was dark again. But he didn't leave her. The bushy-tailed and large-eared being walked toward her until the dim glint of the moon from the window caught his face –

"You are not a monster," Shifu said.

Her heart flooded so intensely she thought it might burst and be swept away. "I'm sorry, Master," she cried.

He knelt and put a hand on her face. Her heart began to beat again as she stared up at him. "Xiao Tigress, you will always make me proud." And he smiled.

It was everything she'd ever wanted. She couldn't speak even if she'd had the desire. And then, almost like a magic trick, he pulled his hand back and produced a small, wooden tile. "But first, you must learn your First Lesson."

She stared at it as if it held the secrets to the universe. Then, slowly, she reached forward. It glinted with the reflection of the moonlight, as if it were made of the most fragile glass. Oh so lightly, she took it with her fore and thumb digits. She smiled. Elated, she brought it closer to her face –

And it shattered.

She stood up, fury once again filling every inch of her being. "NOO!" she roared. Shifu was gone – all that remained was utter destruction, and red –

Until, inexplicably, the glint of the moonlight from the window grew and flashed so brightly, she thought her head might burst. All that was left was the light like white hot fire. She couldn't explain it, but the rage left – and in its place she was filled with the need to act; to do, or, stop something, before everything was lost –

The light flashed to gold. The sun had risen. And then the moon swirled around it, as darkness and light grew and diminished all at once, never ending, an inexplicable duality, like an eternal symbol she recognized –

She breathed in. And then she opened her eyes.

The light filtered in through the parchment lining her room. Tigress blinked and sat up. She had slept later than she'd intended. Master Shifu would be here any moment.

But she wouldn't let one slip in discipline, however unusual, offset the rest of her day. After another few breaths, she stood up, straightened her bed, and changed – just in time for the morning bell to ring. She zipped out of her bedroom.

"Good morning Master." The Furious Five were precisely on time and in unison. As always. They stood at attention before their Master Shifu, who, as always, was already waiting at the end of the hall.

He made his typical quick glance around to make sure they were all up. Then he paused. "Panda," he grunted.

Tigress looked back at the door in front of her. Why must their first thoughts of the day be about that panda. Oh, but if he was still here…

"Panda, wake up!" Shifu darted over to his door and threw it open.

It was empty.

"Hm hm hm," Shifu chuckled. "He's quit."

Tigress smiled to herself. So he had actually listened in the end.

As she walked up the steps to the palace courtyard with her fellow Masters and Master Shifu, her growing unease finally began to lessen. The panda had left. Finally, everything could return to normal. The bizarre blip that had literally flown into their lives and disrupted the harmony of the Jade Palace, for a moment, was no more.

She exchanged a brief look with Viper, who caught her smiling. Viper responded with a knowing look before slithering up behind Master Shifu. She broke the silence among them with the question that was on all their minds: "What do we do now, Master? With the panda gone… who will be the Dragon Warrior?"

"All we can do is resume our training," Master Shifu answered, "and trust that in time, the true Dragon Warrior," he glanced for a spark of a moment up at Tigress, "will be revealed." And he pushed open the courtyard doors –

To reveal none other than the panda, sprawled out on the leg stretcher.

* * *

Tigress nearly slammed her cup of water down on the counter. What a day it had been. And it wasn't over yet…

She watched as the sun started to crawl beneath the tree leaves. They had spent all morning, afternoon, and now the early hours of the evening "training" the hopeless panda. Tigress had watched as Crane spent his first moments of the day rescuing the panda from his plight in the equipment – not without some struggle – but finally yanking him over the leg stretcher with cringe-worthy _THUMP_.

How self-absorbed was this panda to allow a Master of Crane's caliber to reduce himself to assisting a sloppy wanna-be out of his own screw-ups? Did he not understand how disrespectful it was to waste their time like this?

But that had only been the beginning.

"You actually thought you could learn to do a full split in one night?" Shifu had said to the panda. "It takes _years _to develop one's flexibility – " he threw two wooden training panels into the air, "and years longer…" before Shifu even snapped his fingers, Tigress had been crouched and ready. When he did, she had launched herself into the air and executed a perfect center-split-kick, shattering both panels. "…To apply it in combat."

Ha. Let him try to perform anything remotely close to what she had done. He would quickly learn Shifu meant what he said. Mastery of their beloved Kung Fu was not something that could be achieved overnight with minor effort. No, the Dragon Scroll would go to someone who had dedicated their life to mastering the art, not someone who thought he could pick it up on a whim like a new hobby.

But Tigress's display of skill had not been enough to intimidate and deter the panda. Next had come the sparring.

It was the most embarrassing defeat of the millennia. No, make that _defeats_. Viper had flipped the panda on his head and won the match in just short of 3 seconds. Then Monkey sparred with him, leaving him with about fifty different bruises. And then Crane, who had won without even touching him.

And now, in the next few minutes, it would be Mantis's turn.

She took another sip, then gently left her cup by the water bucket. She couldn't believe they were still going. That Shifu had put up with it for this long. That the panda hadn't quit. But here they were… She turned to go to the courtyard again. Back to it.

The match with Mantis was more of the same. Truthfully, his defeat of the enormous panda would have been most impressive, considering the vast difference in sizes… if the panda actually had training. So that was it. The entire day was spent beating him up. But he didn't cry or complain. He never asked to stop, or even to take a breather. The panda met each defeat with a confident enthusiasm that had only further irritated Tigress, and had infuriated Shifu.

"I have been taking it easy on you, panda," he said. "But no more. Your next opponent…" Tigress held her breath… "will be me."

She released her exhale. Master Shifu was not going to let her fight the panda. It was bad enough watching her esteemed peers spend hours beating up someone who couldn't even fight back. She had not looked forward to participating in this dishonor – in fact, she was a little afraid of what she could do to him without even trying. But Shifu knew the panda did not deserve even the pretense of a sparring match with Tigress. He was even willing to fight him first.

Or perhaps, he was just impatient to get him out of there. She wasn't sure. But either way, she appreciated it. He brought dishonor on all of them, and Master Shifu would fight for his students, no matter what that meant.

"Alright, yeah, let's go!" the panda exclaimed.

Tigress felt the others exchange glances around her. Did he actually enjoy getting beat up like this? He knew he couldn't fight them...

"Step forth," Shifu said. The panda obeyed.

Shifu snatched him and spun him in the air. "The path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness, and make him suffer for it." Shifu was so fast, Tigress barely saw how he locked the panda's arm behind him while standing on his back.

"Ohh yeah!" the panda exclaimed.

"To take his strength – " Shifu flipped the panda over, " – and use it against him," he delivered a series of kicks to his chin and tossed him toward the palace stairs, "until he finally falls, or quits." He pulled up the panda's head by his nose.

The panda had taken more beatings from the Five and Shifu than even some of the most ferocious criminals and pirates they'd ever faced would have. And yet, he still smiled.

"But a real warrior never quits!" he told Shifu, his voice even more annoyingly nasal through his plugged airways. "Don't worry Master, I will never quit!"

Shifu raised his arm. His jaw clenched, and tension radiated through his small body – his rage was so palpable, for a moment, Tigress's heart stopped – and then, he flung the panda into the air and with a sharp side-kick, sent him flying back out the doors of the gate and down the long, endless, never ending, relentless staircase that led all the way down to the Valley.

Tigress led the Furious Five as they walked out the gates, listening to the echoing yells and grunts of the panda as they watched him bounce down and away. If he hadn't been picking up any of the hints before, this was the clearest message Shifu could have given him.

"If he's smart, he won't come back up those steps," she said.

"But, he will," Monkey said, meeting her gaze. Then he returned his focus to the bouncing blob.

Tigress rolled her eyes. They'd all already wasted the day, this panda wasn't worth another moment's thought. She turned to go as Viper said, "He's not gonna quit, is he?"

"He's not gonna quit bouncing, I can tell ya that," she heard Mantis chuckle, followed by a reprimanding hiss from Viper.

Leave it to sweet Viper to find it in her heart to have an ounce of respect for that disgraceful blob that thought he was the legendary Dragon Warrior. Still, it was something that the panda didn't show any of them the slightest hint of frustration, tears, pain, or resentment, after all they'd done to him. Whether it was out of arrogance, a truly dedicated spirit, or seeing it all as some funny joke, she didn't know – but the truth was, it didn't matter. No amount of good-naturedness now would make him more worthy than they and their years' worth of training to receive the Dragon Scroll.

She marched inside the training hall. She wanted to spend the next hour to herself – on her own training, her own self-development. Alone.

She spent a while on the training posts, retaining and redirecting the energy and force she exerted, hoping for some of it to explete her growing frustration and unease – but she mostly felt hollow. Finally she stopped. The top appendage of the training post swung around as she stared at it, waiting for it to slow down.

The door creaked open. The dim glow of the moonlight seeped through. She turned and saw a small, stocky, and large-eared shadow fall across the floor. It was Master Shifu.

She bowed and showed her hold-fist salute. "Master," she said. She wondered what he thought Oogway might say after the events of today. She wondered if he'd talk to her about her form on the center-split kick from that morning. She wondered if he even might share some of his frustration about the panda with her, and they could form a new plan to win the Dragon Scroll together.

But "Hm," was all he said. Then he walked to the end of the room, where he had laid his mat and candles. He was going to meditate.

She bowed her head and turned to leave. Of course he would need some time alone to think – just as she had. She was almost to the door when he stopped her.

"Tigress," Shifu said.

"Yes, Master?" she turned back to face him. He was lighting a candle.

"Make sure everything's cleaned up before you leave," he said.

She bit the inside of her lip. "Yes, Master." She bowed again with the hold-fist salute, but his back remained to her.

She stayed another several minutes clearing the training equipment. When she had finished, she left the hall and softly closed the door behind her. She stared up at the moon and let out a long sigh.

She was lost in thought, in memories, and in what-ifs when she returned to the sleeping corridors; so much so that she barely noticed the voices coming from the vacant room... or now, it would be the panda's room. Since he had obviously come back.

"…But he actually wasn't always like that." Mantis' muffled tones carried down the hall. Tigress twitched an ear.

"According to legend," she heard Viper say in a stage whisper, "there was once a time when Master Shifu actually used to _smile_."

Tigress's heart skipped a beat. Ah… so they were gossiping about _that_ legend. But who would know it better than Master Shifu and Master Oogway… and herself?

"Nooo," the panda said.

Mantis grunted, "Yes."

"But that was before…" Viper trailed off.

"Before what?"

Tigress threw open the doors. "Before Tai Lung," she told him. If he was going to hear the story, he would hear it right.

Crane's worried shadow appeared behind the parchment screen of the left wall. "Uh, yeah, we're not really supposed to talk about him?"

She twitched her tail. "Well, if he's going to stay here, he should know." She eyed the panda, who had several of Mantis' acupuncture needles sticking out around his shoulders. He was glancing around.

"Guys, guys," the panda said, holding up a paw as he looked up at her. "I know about Tai Lung."

She raised her eyebrow and stepped into the room, still looking at him. What _did_ he think he knew?

"He was a student," the panda continued, as if they'd never heard the news before, "the first ever to master the Thousand…"

He didn't know any more than the average commoner could. By now Tigress was standing directly above him. He flinched under her shadow. "…Scrolls of… Kung fu… And… then he turned bad… and…" he cowered.

She met his eyes. "He wasn't just a student. Shifu found him as a cub, and raised him as a son."

As she began the story, she saw it all in her minds' eye – from the portraits she'd found hidden in Shifu's quarters one night, to the way Oogway had first told her the story years ago. Shifu finding Tai Lung, a swaddled baby, abandoned and helpless outside the Jade Palace; Shifu encouraging the cub to harness his strength and teaching him kung-fu, filling his head with hopes of someday achieving what he could not: the title of Dragon Warrior, and the unknown wonders of the Dragon Scroll – then Master Oogway seeing the dark hunger in Tai Lung's heart, and refusing him the honor; Tai Lung releasing his fury on all the innocent of the Valley of Peace, destroying everything in his way; Master Oogway preventing him from stealing the Dragon Scroll with his nerve-paralyzing technique, and sending him to Chor Gom prison, stopping him for good… when Shifu could not. How could he?

"Shifu loved Tai Lung like he had never loved anyone before…" And in that moment, without warning, a dam in her mind collapsed and her dream from that morning flooded back. All she'd ever wanted… and memories of every moment he chose to keep her at arm's length instead of offering an affection she'd always craved. Shifu was a great Master. But Shifu could never bring himself to love like that again, after his son and best student had turned out the way he did – how could she expect him to?

"… Or since," she finished. She looked back up at the panda. He was watching her, his brow furrowed. "And now, he has a chance to make things right. To train the true Dragon Warrior," she said. He would see now just why Shifu had thrown him down the stairs. He would see just why his inability to take anything seriously was so inappropriate. Why his very presence here was an insult, how it was hurting them all. "And he's stuck with you," she told him, as he averted his gaze from hers, "a big, fat, panda who treats it like a joke."

He returned her gaze with a somber look she'd never seen on him before – and for the briefest of moments, she thought she'd finally reached him.

Then his eyes crossed. He stuck out his tongue. "Doy!" he yelped at her.

And in that moment, fury Tigress had kept checked for so long finally boiled over. Her pupils constricted. "Oh, that is _it_!" she barely had time to think before her paw shot up, claws unsheathed.

"Wait, my fault!" Mantis yelled, jumping onto the panda's nose. "I accidentally tweaked his facial nerve!"

She stepped back as the panda slumped forward. His back was covered in needles. "…And may have also stopped his heart." Mantis poked the bear's twitching cheek.

Tigress looked up. Crane and Monkey were peering in from Crane's now ajar doors. But when everyone had finished staring at the immobilized panda, they stared back at her. They stared at her claws. She lowered her paw.

"He's okay," Mantis announced, holding up a few needles. The panda's face started to relax.

Viper started to say something, still looking at Tigress. But Tigress turned on her heel and left the room without another word, the doors slamming behind her.

All it had taken was one day with the panda. All it had taken was one careless moment. And in an instant, she'd forgotten her First Lesson. Perhaps the inner monster within wasn't so far away after all.

* * *

Author's Note:

TheAlienHeart, Ace-Risk, gsmith1030, and Th3F4lcon-Bl4ckBlu3, thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews! It is always useful to hear others' impressions and how the writing comes across to different readers. Thank you for enjoying!


	4. Chapter 4: Heavenly Wisdom

CHAPTER FOUR

Heavenly Wisdom

Tigress didn't know where she was going. She just knew she had to get out.

She left hard paw prints in the grass as she trod on and her tail kept twisting and turning but she did not stop walking until she no longer could – until she reached the cliff's edge on the top of the mountain.

She let out a deep breath. She gazed over the neighboring mountaintops, and over the darkness of the clouds that hid the Valley of Peace below her from view.

Since coming to the Jade Palace, Tigress's life had been straightforward. Routine. Physical training beyond anything she'd ever imagined as a child, and an honorable duty to protect the innocent, which she held dear in the very core of her being. And with that came constant spiritual growth under the occasional gift of Oogway's gentle guidance. Learning about and becoming a part of the universe, the continuum of energy, of giving and receiving… and of letting go. It was a constant journey, but she loved it. She loved kung-fu – but it was like loving the air. Or the earth. She breathed it, it was her foundation – she lived it. It became so much a part of her that she didn't know where her kung-fu began and where she ended…

She watched the clouds swirl below her, looking for lights from the homes in the Valley that might poke through. In spite of all that training… all of that letting go… all of that outward control… she had never managed to rid herself of her temper. She felt like she was starting from scratch again – a thought that, after twenty years, absolutely terrified her. Where did it come from? Did her tendency for a fiery temper come from her parents? What kind of people had they been to leave her with such a… persistent trait? But it was far from her first time wondering that. Oogway had taught her to dwell only in the present a long time ago.

It was, however, her first time in a long time wondering who she really was.

She had thought she knew. She knew it was her destiny to be a protector of the Valley of Peace. To be Shifu's source of pride. The one who would bring him honor. One who would never fail him. One who could even, possibly, finally, bring him joy. She thought that whatever traces of her temper might be left could be obliterated by the power of the Dragon Scroll. Yesterday, she had thought she was worthy. Was this why Oogway hadn't chosen her? Because she had never managed to totally rid herself of her rage? She'd thought it was under control. She'd thought she would be enough. And with the Scroll, she wouldn't need to be. But now…

What had all that training been for?

She turned away from the edge of the cliff and stared at the Sacred Peach Tree. She watched its pink petals rustle and the fruit sway a little in the breeze. Then she launched herself into the air, and with a backflip, snatched a peach from the topmost branch.

She landed on just three paws, her fourth clutching the peach between her fore and thumb digits. She stood up to inspect it. In the spots where she'd held it, there were two small bruises.

In spite of everything she'd worked for she was no better than Tai Lung. No matter how hard she tried she could not control herself – she could not win. Without the Dragon Scroll, she didn't see how she ever would. But how should that mean a _panda_ would win it?

She clenched her jaw. She stared at the peach in her hand. Then she threw it to the stony ground and crushed it under her back paw.

"Well, I haven't had jam from the peaches of the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom in a long time."

Tigress jumped. Master Oogway stood on the last two steps leading up to the cliff, holding a dim, golden lantern on the end of his staff. Despite his lack of speed and plethora of years, he never failed to surprise.

"I wish I had some crust for a tart," he said. "We could have made a lovely dessert."

"Master Oogway." Tigress bowed and put her palm to her fist.

He gave her a look, then began to climb the last two steps to join her by the tree. "It seems this place is the spot for lost heroes lately."

"Master?"

"Well, perhaps not lost… but searching," said Oogway, holding the golden lantern out between them. "What trouble is on your heart, Tigress?"

"I… nothing that is worthy of your precious time, Master Oogway," Tigress said. "I'm fine."

"You think you should have been chosen to receive the Dragon Scroll." Oogway met her eyes with a hint of a smile. "You don't believe the panda is worthy to be the Dragon Warrior."

Tigress's tail flitted over the ground. "I would never question your decision, Master Oogway."

"No, you would never do that," Oogway agreed, turning his head to face the mountains. Then he glanced at her from the sides of his eyes. "Not on the surface, of course."

She didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't deny it. But she wouldn't admit it – that would be blatant disrespect.

"For someone with a vibrant inner life, Tigress," Oogway said, "you are too concerned with what can only be seen on the surface. But if you look deeper, with your heart, you might find that something totally different from what we perceive is at work."

She wasn't entirely sure whether he was still talking about her, or about someone else, at this point. Though she could probably guess.

"I suppose it's… difficult to see… what all of my training has been for, if the Dragon Scroll goes to someone else," Tigress said.

"Ah," Oogway said. "You fear disappointing Shifu."

"There's nothing to fear." She shrugged and looked away. "I've never made him proud."

Oogway removed the lantern from his staff with one slow pointer and hung it on the lowest branch of the Sacred Peach Tree. "Tigress, you are loved whether or not you see yourself as someone worthy of it," he said. He took a moment to thoughtfully lift himself onto his staff into a resting pose. She was still so taken aback, she almost didn't hear him when he continued, "And, your ability to love far outweighs any image of failure you carry in your mind."

She stared up at him. "Master…"

"But you doubt that," he said, looking down her, and then at the squashed peach.

She leapt onto a branch near the lantern and crouched down, so she could speak to him face to face, but she looked down at her paw. "I've trained almost my whole life. And it seems I still can't control it, Master."

She stood on the branch, then repeated her leap above the top of the tree. She caught another peach and landed on her perch again, a cloud of pink petals settling around her as she held it between her fore and thumb digits. And when she removed them – two small bruises. Again.

"Mm," Oogway said thoughtfully. "The balance of your life has been altered, and in turn it has thrown you off balance… a little."

She didn't respond. She only gazed at the dark patches on the fuzzy skin.

"Tigress, I would not worry about two tiny bruises. You have the gift of immense strength. A little bruise will not hurt the peach. And if you look under the surface…" Just then, he pointed to the ground where she had squashed the first peach. She squinted. There, in the center, lay the dark peach stone. "You might see that underneath, it is hard and strong as you are. It just needs someone like you to bring it out."

She met his gaze again. He smiled. "I almost struck the panda," she said. "He was defenseless."

"But you didn't?" Oogway said.

She lowered her head. "He acted arrogant. I was frustrated… I would have."

"So why did you stop yourself?"

"I didn't." Tigress shook her head. "Mantis did. I couldn't."

But Oogway managed to defy her expectations again. Instead of returning her somberness with further sobriety, he chuckled.

"You need to stop taking yourself so seriously."

Tigress blinked. Okay…

"My child, relying upon your friends does not make you weak," Oogway said. "They will make you stronger. You can't do everything on your own. And why should you when you don't have to?"

Huh. She smiled. "It would certainly be easier if I didn't have these," she said, holding up a paw. Her claws glistened under the light of the moon.

"Claws are just claws, tails are just tails… and fat is just fat. These things are not good or bad. They just are what they are. It is how you choose to use them that makes all the difference."

"Then it would be better – for everyone – if I hadn't been born with a temper," she said. She exhaled.

"Do not fear anger, Tigress. If you have anger, it simply means you seek justice in the world," Oogway said. "Anger will guide you, if you do not fear it, and like everything, learn to balance it."

She met the wise tortoise's eyes. "Thank you, Master. For everything. I should – " she made as if to get up, but Oogway held out one claw-like pointer.

"You must stay," he said.

"Oh… alright," Tigress crouched back down. "Why?"

"Apparently, the universe has given me a lot of wisdom to bestow this evening," Oogway smiled. "You're very lucky."

She smiled. "I know."

"We all have many important roles to play and places to fill in this great universe," Oogway said, gesturing out at the night sky. She looked up. From this view, you could count almost every star. "We don't always know which ones we will fit into until we're there. That is why we can rely on our friends to help," he said with a glint in his eye. "And Tigress, my child, my friend…" Tigress twitched an ear. He had never referred to her as _friend_ – almost like an equal. "You might find that you must be there to help the Dragon Warrior. You must be there to save him, just as he will save you."

"The Dragon Warrior… the panda," she said slowly.

"He does have a great deal to learn. But so do all Masters, and so do you." Oogway smiled again. "Something tells me that you may have far more to learn from him."

She raised an eyebrow. "To learn… from the panda?"

In answer, Oogway simply pointed down at the crushed peach... at its hard core: the stone. "Whoever it is," he said, "You and the Dragon Warrior will save each other, in many ways. Do not be afraid, Tigress."

She had immense trouble seeing how all this was possible. But she didn't tell him that.

"If I'm not the Dragon Warrior," she murmured, "then… I'm not sure Master Shifu would…" she stopped. "I'm not sure I'm any better than Tai Lung."

The tortoise master's usually slow movements became unusually still. "You are better than Tai Lung," Oogway said sadly. "But I'm not the one you have to convince of that."

Master Shifu. He had to know that his whole life's work wasn't for nothing. Whether or not she was the Dragon Warrior… she could still be a worthy warrior, and student to him. She would do everything in her power –

"But remember – don't just rely on yourself," Oogway said. Tigress wasn't totally sure whether he just read her mind; but before she could wonder, he pointed toward the steps where something long and slithery was approaching them.

"Tigress!" Viper said, slithering to the base of the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. "Master Oogway!" she bowed her head. "Apologies; I didn't see you."

"Not to worry, Viper," Oogway said, and in one fluid movement, descended from his staff and picked up the lantern. "I'm just admiring this beautiful night," he sighed, gazing out over the cliff's edge.

"Tigress," Viper returned her gaze to her fellow master. "We're going to have a late dinner in the kitchen – would you join us?"

Tigress caught Oogway's eye. He smiled.

She leapt off the tree, landing on all fours beside Viper. "Lead the way," she said.

As they left the Sacred Peach Tree, she turned once to glance back at Master Oogway. He was beginning his meditation sequence at the cliff's edge, silently; completely in harmony and at one with the universe. For one strange moment, Tigress was filled with an overwhelming sense of sadness – or fear – or, something, like her heart was falling through its stomach, as if something terrible was about to happen – but in that same moment the feeling disappeared. A few pink petals drifted by her shoulder in the breeze.

She couldn't say that she believed or understood everything Oogway had told her tonight. But she trusted him as her Master – and anything was better than succumbing to the dark thoughts creeping about her mind. Instead, she focused on the moonlight. She focused on Viper. Time to eat.


	5. Chapter 5: The Escape

CHAPTER FIVE

The Escape

Tigress was ready to put the past two days behind her for a while. She was just going to enjoy this meal with her comrades – her friends. She listened as Viper told a funny story about Monkey throwing cookies at Crane while the winged master caught them in his beak.

They had almost reached the doors to the kitchen when Tigress realized Viper was intentionally avoiding bringing up the large intrusion that had been on all their minds for two days. She appreciated the gesture – until she realized why.

When she pushed open the doors, there he was – laughing loudly while he stirred a pot over the open-fire stove. When he saw Tigress and Viper, his huge mouth closed, and he turned back to his stirring.

"Hey, Tigress." Monkey waved at her from his spot at the dining table. "We're all having noodle soup tonight." He pointed a thumb at the panda.

She glanced over at him. And to think she had almost been in a good mood…

"I wasn't aware that _we've all _decided to disregard Master Shifu's regimented diet plan for us," Tigress said.

"Oh, uh, I didn't know you had a… regimented diet plan," the panda said. She smirked.

"Eh, don't worry about it," Mantis said to him. "We can't wait to have some. One night isn't gonna make us fa… die. Make us _die_, heh heh..."

Tigress raised an eyebrow at the insect Master, but the panda seemed not to have heard as he clanged spoons and spices against the pot.

"Well," he said, turning and catching Tigress' eye, but then quickly looking away, "don't feel like you have to have some, I mean I won't be offended – I mean if you would like a small portion, or don't want any, I won't – "

"Thank you," Tigress said.

"Oh sure, sure!" he exclaimed. "I mean there's gonna be enough soup here for the entire Tenshu army, so don't feel like I'm making you feel like you'd be taking too much or anything, you're welcome to have – "

"No thank you," Tigress said.

There was a pause. "Right."

The panda began telling them all a story about some "cool" time an infamous bandit came to his family's restaurant, but she stopped listening. She retrieved a slice of her tofu and set it on a plate. Viper, still chuckling over one of the panda's comments, caught her eye and nodded her head at a chair across the table for Tigress to sit. Tigress gave a minute sigh, and sat. She wasn't going to get chummy with the panda like the others seemed to be pretending to – or, maybe, genuinely trying to. But she wouldn't let him bother her. If he was going to stay, he was going to stay. But she didn't have to interact with him. She didn't have to speak to him. She would resume her practices as usual. She would bear Oogway's words in mind – she would look below the surface. She was not her temper or her failings. She was a noble warrior, and she would continue her path to be worthy of Shifu's pride, and to be a warrior worthy of the Dragon Scroll – whether or _not_ she actually received it. That was a noble goal, wasn't it?

"'…You may be the scariest bandit in Hajin Province, but you're a lousy tipper,'" the panda finished dramatically.

"Really?" Crane said. "So… how did you get out of there alive?"

"I mean, I didn't actually say that…" There was a clatter of bowls. "But… I thought it. In… my mind." The soup poured. The panda came to the table. "He could read my mind, he'd a been like… whut?"

Wow. Sad… She may not know who the true Dragon Warrior was, but there was no way it was this guy.

"Order up!" He slid bowls across the table to Mantis, Crane, Viper, and Monkey. "You like it?"

"This is really good!" Mantis exclaimed from beside her. Tigress watched as he shoveled as much of a spoonful as he could into his mouth. She had to admit it did smell excellent.

"Oh, come on," the panda said with faux bashfulness, as he scooped up his own bowl. "You should try my dad's Secret Ingredient Soup. He actually… knows the secret."

"What are you talking about? This is amazing!" Viper was sweet, but she didn't exaggerate.

"Wow. You're a really good cook," Crane said with a nod.

Well, it was good to know the panda actually possessed some kind of skill.

"I wish my mouth was bigger!" Mantis lamented.

"Tigress." Monkey turned to her for a moment before diving back into his bowl. "You've got to try this."

At this point, she kind of wished she'd said yes. But it was too late now. "Hm." Tigress finally picked up her tofu. Besides, whether her comrades – friends – would or not, she wanted to stay on her path; and that included sticking to Master Shifu's regimented diet plan. It did not, however, mean she couldn't get in a little passive dig if she wanted to… "It is said that the Dragon Warrior can survive for months at a time with nothing," she picked up a small piece of tofu with her chopsticks, "but the dew of a single ginkgo leaf, and the energy of the universe." She finally deigned to shoot a glance at the panda's enormous presence at the opposite end of the table.

The others fell silent. "I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet," the panda chuckled. "Gonna need a lot more than dew. And uh, universe… juice." He took a long sip of broth.

Exactly. Now maybe they'd leave her alone. Tigress turned back to her tofu.

Suddenly the other four broke out in low chuckles. Tigress twitched her ears.

"What?" the panda said.

"Nothing," Mantis answered. "…Master Shifu." The others laughed.

Tigress glanced over again – against her better judgment. The panda had a long noodle stuck to his lip – in a fashion reminiscent of Master Shifu's long, thin mustache. Oh, please…

She watched his face light up with an idea. Oh no.

Sure enough, he pushed his chair from the table and stood, assuming a stoic face with arms behind his back. "You will never be the Dragon Warrior," he said, in a gruff imitation of her Master, "unless you lose 500 pounds," he waved his chopsticks over at her, "and brush your teeth!"

No, no no. Staying here was one thing. But she would not watch him make a mockery of her Master. Absolutely not. She opened her mouth – but the sound of Monkey's bawdy laughter, Mantis' and Crane's chuckles, and Viper's giggle made her close it again. She still didn't care if they thought she was a stick in the mud, or too intense – but Oogway's words had stuck with her. _Her friends would make her stronger_. She wouldn't be able to lean on them if she constantly pushed them away. They were only trying to get over their own heartbreak over not winning the Dragon Scroll. She didn't think laughing at a cheap imitation of Shifu was the way to do it, but who was she to put a stop to their fun? It wasn't worth the energy anyway…

"What is that noise you're making?" The panda continued. "Laughter?! I've never heard of it!"

Tigress pressed her lips together.

"Work hard, panda, and maybe someday…" He reached over and held two bowls over his head. "You will have ears like mine."

She looked at her comrades as they cackled away. She scrunched her nose. It was so disrespectful… And yet –

She looked up. Master Shifu had appeared in the doorway behind the panda.

It took a comically long time for the panda to realize his presence there. And with every passing moment, she watched Shifu's face darken.

When the panda finally turned, he cupped the bowls to his chest and slurped up the mustache noodle, eliciting further giggles from her comrades – albeit more suppressed ones in the presence of their master.

"You think this is funny!?" Shifu exclaimed. He looked murderous – even more so than usual. "Tai Lung has escaped from prison, and you're acting like children!"

Wait… _what_?

"_What_?" the panda echoed her thoughts.

"He is coming for the Dragon Scroll, and you are the _only_ one who can stop him." He was looking at the panda.

_What?!_

Tigress turned away. Her fellow masters exchanged looks of horror across the table. Tai Lung had escaped… and he was coming here. And the panda was the only… wait a minute.

She glanced at Shifu for a moment. Almost as if sensing it, he met her eyes. He opened his mouth, almost as if to speak to her – and then the panda laughed. "And here I am saying you've got no sense of humor!" he guffawed.

Shifu never joked. After a thousand years, with no explanation, Oogway had suddenly decided it was time to choose the Dragon Warrior… and just a day later, Tai Lung had escaped prison – Masters above, Oogway had known. He had known.

She folded her paws in front of her face. The only one who could stop Tai Lung, the _Great Dragon_, was the Dragon Warrior. And in their place they had a fat, untrained panda. But Tai Lung was coming _now._

"What, you're serious? And I have to…" he looked down at his belly. "Uh… N-n… Master Oogway'll stop him! He did it before, he'll do it again!"

"Oogway cannot!" Shifu shouted. Then suddenly quiet: "Not anymore."

Tigress looked up. Master Shifu was gazing down at the staff in his hands: Master Oogway's staff.

Her stomach dropped miles into the ground. How could this be? She had just… she had just spoken with him mere moments ago… He must be at least a thousand years old, but the thought of him just… gone… it was unthinkable… The image of him standing at the cliff's edge flew into her mind. That was the last time she'd seen him. That was the last time she'd spoken… it couldn't be.

"Our only hope…" Shifu looked up at them. "Is the Dragon Warrior."

Now Master Shifu was in Oogway's place. Upheld what he had upheld. Believed what he had believed.

But this was madness.

"The panda?" Tigress gazed at him.

"Yes the panda!" he shouted.

"Master, please." She shoved the table away and stood. "Let us stop Tai Lung. This is what you've trained us for!"

"No!" He pounded Oogway's staff. "It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung! It is his!" He pointed at the panda – but Tigress had already watched him scramble out the door. "Where'd he go?"

"Where do you think," she said. "He ran away."

She knew she was right. Shifu had trained them to be as good as Tai Lung – and to succeed where he had failed. Shifu had trained them to be better. Everything he'd done in his life since had been to correct his mistake in Tai Lung – and this was their chance to prove it for him.

He turned to look at her. He held her eyes for a moment. Then he turned and followed the panda into the night, without another word.

Tigress closed her eyes and bowed her head. She inhaled.

Some of Oogway's very last words to her were, '_You are better than Tai Lung_.' He had said it knowing what was coming. Maybe Shifu wasn't convinced. But that didn't matter now.

She took a step towards the door.

"Tigress, you can't go." Viper's voice cut across the silence. "It's not your destiny."

She paused. '_You can't do everything on your own,_' he'd also said. '_And why should you when you don't have to?_'

It wasn't her destiny. It wasn't _just_ hers. She turned to face her friends, who watched her silently.

"We have to go," she told them. "All of us." There was a pause.

"Tigress, I… you heard Master Shifu," Crane said cautiously.

She clenched her fist. "The panda can't fight Tai Lung."

"Oogway chose him." Viper's voice came out almost a whisper. "Not us."

"Tai Lung is on his way here _right now_," Tigress braced herself against the table, looking them each in the eye. "He will take the Dragon Scroll, and use its power against everyone in the Valley. Even if it is the panda, we don't have the time."

They exchanged glances with one another, but remained silent. Finally Monkey said, "It doesn't make sense, but Shifu gave orders. We don't have a choice."

"This isn't about orders. It's a matter of life and death. We can't take the risk." Tigress stood. "Are you with me, or not?"

They still said nothing.

She clenched her jaw. Apparently the panda hadn't been the only thing Oogway had gotten wrong, after all. "Fine," she said. "I'm going."

"Tigress," Viper called – but she had already leapt out into the night.

She was already in the thick of the redwood trees when she heard, "You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior!"

Tigress slid to a stop just as quickly as she'd bounded out. It was Master Shifu's voice. Through the tree trunks, she could hardly make out the giant figure of the panda on the path ahead. In another moment, she leapt onto a tree branch, then up onto the palace roof.

"You never believed that!" Tigress watched from above as the panda shouted back. "From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!"

So. He wasn't as clueless as he seemed.

"Yes, I was!" Shifu admitted, tripping the panda in one swish of the staff. "But now I ask you to trust in your master, as I have come to trust in mine."

Tigress flexed her tail. What had Oogway said to him before he'd… gone?

"You're not my Master." The panda knocked the outstretched staff to the side. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior."

She twitched an ear and leaned closer as Master Shifu said, "Then why didn't you quit? You knew I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed!"

Her eyes remained fixed on the panda as he said, "Yeah, I stayed," and pushed himself back up. He was standing up to Master Shifu in a way she'd never seen anyone do before, and she could see that whatever made him do it wasn't cockiness, or cluelessness… it was something deeper… "I stayed, because every time you threw a brick at my head, or said I smelled – it hurt," the panda said, as Shifu looked taken aback, "but it could never hurt more than it did every day of my life _just being_ _me_."

A shiver ran up Tigress's tail and into her spine. She felt like a knife had just slid its way into her heart and down to her stomach. The panda wanted to be a warrior… because he just wanted to be something other than the thing he was.

She remembered hating the tingling in her toes and claws as she punched these very ironwood trees for years and years. She hated the way her heart would crumble every time Shifu walked past her without saying a word. She hated that a small part of her heart still yearned for the affection she'd never received from any parent, teacher, or playmate as a child. So she controlled it. She learned to punch past the pain, to crumble wooden blocks and bricks, and to yearn for the peace of the Valley and for all who dwelt in her; she learned to destroy all threats and defeat all enemies and become the most iron, the most impenetrable, indestructible warrior in all of China. She learned all this… because she just wanted to be something other than the thing she had always feared she was.

"Tai Lung is on his way here right now!" the panda unknowingly echoed Tigress's exact words. "And even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you going to turn THIS," he gestured to his ginormous belly, "into the Dragon Warrior?"

Her Master was silent.

"How?" the panda threw the word at him. "_How_?"

Still nothing.

"HOW?"

"I don't know!" Shifu pounded the staff. Then he sighed – and she saw a quiet look she'd never seen before come over his face. "I don't know."

The silence was deafening. She watched the panda deflate, all hope of any change in his destiny lost. "That's what I thought," he said.

Tigress slowed her breathing. Her heart rate returned to normal. The panda wouldn't do it – he couldn't.

And it wasn't his fault.

She turned and looked up at the dim glint of the stars. If anyone could defeat Tai Lung, it was the most impenetrable warrior. The only other student who understood exactly what he'd been through. But Oogway had said it himself. She was better. There was no choice – it was up to her now.

In a moment of faith, she sprung herself into the air, and leapt backwards off the roof. She soared down the mountain, flying past the enormous moon and over the hundreds of never ending stairs into the clear night. She fell, completely free – spotted her target – and slid down the tiled arch of a village roof. That launched her momentum up and forward until she reached the edge of the Valley and landed on the next house – with perfect control.

She drew deep, fast breaths as she looked in the direction of Chor Gom prison, the direction from which Tai Lung would come. At the same time she felt the presence of the Jade Palace looming over her shoulder, gazing down on her direct breach of Master Shifu's orders.

It wasn't about proving herself to Shifu, or anyone. This was personal. She'd do it for the panda, who hadn't chosen his life or his fate. She'd do it for her comrades, who had dedicated their lives countless times to the protection of the Valley. She'd do it for the revered – and, now late – Master Oogway. She'd do it for all the innocent victims of Tai Lung's wrath. But most of all, she would do it to end a decades-old self-penance for a great and flawed Master, who gave up so many years, and all his joy, just to try to fix his one mistake.

She glanced back. "This is what you trained me for." She looked ahead, and bounded off into the night.

But it wasn't long before she sensed something behind her. A roof tile creaked and she almost reacted when she heard, "Tigress!"

Viper. Followed by Crane, Mantis, and Monkey…

"Don't try and stop me!" Tigress called, springing through a long balcony. She'd lose them if she had to…

"We're not trying to stop you!" she said, keeping the pace as she slithered along next to her.

This caught her off guard. "What?"

"We're coming with you!" Viper smiled.

She looked around. Crane flew above and Mantis scurried ahead. Monkey bounded along to her left with a thumbs-up and a smile of his own. She smiled back. She wasn't alone after all; she'd never been. It looked like Oogway was right after all.

They were in this together. Tigress might be the most iron-strong warrior in China – but against all of the Furious Five? Tai Lung didn't stand a chance.

* * *

Author's Note:

Thanks again so much for the reads and thoughtful reviews! Thank you 3431jess, Left for Red, and again to Th3F4lcon-Bl4ckBlu3, gsmith1030, Ace-Risk. So glad you're finding it thought-provoking and enjoyable – and little funny too. :)


	6. Chapter 6: Everything and Nothing

CHAPTER SIX

Everything and Nothing

What a disaster… What a horrendous situation to end up in...

She could see nothing. She felt nothing. All she heard was the wind whistling in her ears, Crane's exhausted breathing, and the steady flap of his wings.

It didn't make any sense. Oogway had said… well, whatever he said, it didn't matter now. Here she was, so immobile, she might have been made of stone - and, for perhaps the first time in her life, rendered utterly helpless.

All she could do was replay the last things she'd seen over and over in her mind to try and make some sense of it all….

She didn't know how long they'd traveled after leaving the Valley. They rested little, and made sure someone kept watch at all times - not that Tai Lung would try to sneak around China. A warrior of his infamy - and power - had no reason to hide. But he didn't know they were coming for him. They needed to make sure he wouldn't just charge past before they were ready.

But she knew he wouldn't. They would meet, face to face. Tigress had felt it in her bones. She and Tai Lung were destined to battle. And with the Furious Five, she would win.

The moment had finally come in the morning, once they'd briefly rested before a misty dawn grew over the forest. Then on they went, praying that the further they traveled from home, the sooner they'd meet Tai Lung - and the sooner his threat to the Valley of Peace would end.

It was then that they met him on the rope bridge.

Tai Lung had barely hesitated to throw them a snarl. He bolted across the rickety boards and charged.

The chasm over which the bridge hovered was so deep and fog-covered, it looked like nothing but an endless abyss below - endless enough, perhaps, to put an end to the infamous Tai Lung.

"Cut it!" Tigress called to her friends. They each sliced a rope, sending the bridge falling - but Tai Lung was soaring. He had jumped at the last second for the cliff's edge, and for them -

Tigress watched him fly toward them, his claws extended - so, he thought he could just take them down in one blow and keep going - but she'd show him he was wrong.

She leapt into the air and delivered a perfect flip-kick to his jaw. He flew back. He might have fallen and that would have been the end, but Tigress had leapt too far forward to come back safely to the cliff - so the Five grabbed the ropes, holding the bridge taut as Tigress and Tai Lung met face to face in the middle.

She was ready. Whether she'd known it or not, she'd been training for this moment her whole life.

But Tai Lung did not assume a defensive stance, as she had done. He simply reclined sideways on the ropes like they were a hammock. "Where's the Dragon Warrior?" he'd asked lackadaisically, as if it was a question of what was for dinner.

"How do you know you're not looking at her?" How dare he think she was beneath him? They came from the exact same background. And she had the Furious Five with her. This monster truly had no honor if he couldn't respect fellow warriors...

But Tai Lung had just laughed. "You think I'm a fool? I know you're not the Dragon Warrior - none of you!" Tai Lung shifted his weight so he stood, walking a tightrope like it was nothing. Tigress growled. "I heard how he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire…" he spoke as if they discussed nothing but the weather, hopped down from the rope onto the bridge, and strolled toward her, "...that he's a warrior, unlike anything the world has ever seen." He smirked at her. She growled again, a warning to keep his distance.

His fight was not with them. He'd made that much clear… But if he knew anything, he'd know that they weren't going to just let him go on by. What he didn't know was how personal this was for them...

"Finally," Tai Lung said, "a worthy opponent." Implying that they were not worthy, of course... "Our battle will be legendary!"

He also didn't know that today, he'd met his match.

With a snarl, Tigress launched herself forward. Tai Lung would not even see the Dragon Scroll, the Jade Palace, or Shifu again… she would see to that. This monster had to be stopped now, once and for all.

He redirected her strikes with lightning quick precision - until she managed to throw him down off the bridge - but he grabbed the rope and used the momentum to fling himself up into the air, and would have landed on her had she not flipped the bridge upside-down.

But he simply smashed through and kept fighting. Eventually, redirects on both their sides simply turned into him delivering blow after blow on her - she used her claws only once, to grasp his arm to save herself from falling into the abyss. This time she experienced little guilt, knowing how many he had hurt with his own claws - let him get a tiny taste of his own medicine - until finally, a kick sent her flying backwards, shattering the rickety wooden boards of the bridge as she crashed against them, like a domino effect.

He was so fast - too fast… He twisted the ropes on the bridge until they caught her by the neck. She was being strangled... How was it even possible…?

She might have been done for if, at that exact moment, Viper hadn't surprised him - he released the ropes, Tigress fell toward the abyss - but she still wasn't alone. Crane caught her.

The next moments flew by so fast, but each of the Five had used everything they had against this feral warrior. Viper used Tai Lung's own strength against him, essentially puppeteering him with her signature coil and control move. Monkey delivered a blow that sent Tai Lung flying back again. And Mantis… well, he supported them all. Literally. She didn't know how it had happened, but Mantis was the only one holding up the entire bridge.

But none of that was enough…. Only until all Five coordinated a final attack at once, were they finally able to stop him. Mantis whipped the ropes - the other four ran - Monkey kicked and struck again - Viper spun him - Crane wrapped him in rope - and Tigress sent the monster Tai Lung flying down into the abyss with her final double palm strike.

Once back on the cliff, she watched Tai Lung fall, his scream of rage still echoing across the jagged mountains, as he disappeared under the fog.

She turned to her comrades. They were all there… they'd all made it. For one brief moment, she was filled with terrified relief - she'd beat the monster. The Valley was safe. And Shifu…

But wait… No...

She could hardly believe what she was seeing - a warrior with this strength, speed, and sheer inevitability should have been impossible - but Tai Lung somehow used the long rope ensnaring him to his advantage, leapt - until, before they even saw him, he was standing on the cliff right behind them.

"Shifu taught you well," Tai Lung said. Then he launched a fist forward - and in one blow, Monkey dropped to the ground. She watched, mouth agape. Her comrade had been immediately and completely paralyzed. Then Tai Lung looked at her. "But he didn't teach you everything." He pulled his fist back - and she saw no more.

* * *

In his eagerness to empower his son, Shifu had taught Tai Lung everything in kung-fu that could be known; and in so doing, he had created a villain who was not just power-hungry, but simply undefeatable. And Tigress had thought she was indestructible, impenetrable… But of course, after what Tai Lung had done to the Valley, Shifu had to make sure he didn't make the same mistake again… he had omitted certain one-move-victories, such as that horrifying nerve-paralyzing attack, from his training regimen for Tigress and the Five.

Tigress should have known. Not that she resented Shifu for his caution… but she should have known there would be things Tai Lung knew that she didn't. How could Oogway have said she was better if she just wasn't? She guessed, she wasn't better in the way she had hoped… And now there was only one…

She heard Crane's sigh of relief and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground. Those heavy objects were probably the bodies of herself and her comrades, based on the immediate proximity of the noise - but she simply couldn't feel anything. They must have finally reached the Jade Palace.

There was the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. "Guys!"the breathless voice of the panda pierced the quiet. "They're dead!" he shrieked, practically in her ear. "No, they're breathing - they're asleep - no their eyes are open!"

"We were no match for his nerve attack," Crane said, when he'd finally recovered enough breath.

Then she finally heard her Master's undertones. "He has gotten stronger." She heard some sharp clicks - then a yelp from Mantis. Shifu was reversing the paralysis.

"Tai Lung?" the panda said. "Stronger?!"

More clicks and a punch - "He's too fast!" Monkey exclaimed, as the panda groaned from the sudden contact of the former's fist.

Finally she heard Shifu's soft footsteps approach her. A few more clicks and jabs - and she was free. She could feel again - she could even feel Shifu's gaze on her. From her curled position, she whispered,"I thought we could stop him."

She could hardly bring herself to meet his eyes. "He could have killed you," Shifu said firmly, and went to Viper. But he didn't reprimand. He didn't need to. She had learned the awful truth herself.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis grunted.

Shifu worked on the snake. "So you could come back and strike fear in our hearts, but it won't work." Viper sighed, and relaxed. They were all free.

"I mean, it might," the panda said in a small voice. "I mean, a little. I'm pretty scared."

"You can defeat him, panda," Shifu said fiercely.

"Heh, are you kidding…" The panda backed away. "..._They_ can't… They're five _Masters_!" he exclaimed. "I'm just one me!"

This whole time, Tigress had taken her time to sit up very, very slowly. She and her comrades were badly bruised from the fight with Tai Lung. His nerve attack had not only paralyzed them, but now she was filled with an ache that radiated through her whole body. Even with the help of the Dragon Scroll, none of them were in any state to fight Tai Lung again. They had been beaten. If she didn't quite align with Master Shifu's newfound faith in the panda, she was in no place to contradict him now. As much as it shocked her to think it, the panda might be their only hope…

Shifu moved toward him, his voice grave. "But you will have the one thing that no one else does."

The panda's eyes widened with understanding.

Silently, they followed their Master and the panda as they led the way to the Sacred Hall of Warriors. The group stopped several feet away from the reflective pool, staring directly above it with muted awe. They gazed at the key to limitless power, where it lay in the mouth of the ornate, golden statue of a dragon.

The Dragon Scroll.

The panda turned to Shifu with a small look on his face. "Do you really believe I'm ready?" he asked the Master softly.

Shifu turned to him. "You are," he said, "Po."

Whether any of them were ready or not, Tigress and her comrades were about to watch the event of the millenium. The Dragon Scroll was about to be opened for the first time, and its powers revealed.

Master Shifu approached the new shrine in the Sacred Hall of Warriors: the shrine for Master Oogway. Tigress felt a breath catch in her throat - there was a beautiful, simple painting of the wise tortoise on the cliff by the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, practicing the art form he'd created - looking exactly as he had the last moment she had seen him. Below it, rows of beautiful candles brought light to their home in the nook of the hall - and in front of those, lay the staff.

Her Master bowed his head. He picked up the staff. She watched as he slowly, deliberately, approached the pool below the Scroll.

What followed was a sequence of such specificity and beauty, it would have been worthy of the Great Oogway himself. Shifu scattered the pink peach petals on the pool, shifting and moving the air around them until they floated into a flowing column all the way up to the Dragon Scroll; until one petal softly landed on the Scroll's end, upsetting its balance just enough to make it fall.

Shifu caught it with the end of the staff, sending a single ripple through the center of the pool.

In this moment, Tigress became aware of the enormity of Shifu's responsibility. What a large, empty space he had to fill… But other than his expression of the great focus and effort it had taken him, she could see that Master Shifu had performed this sequence of great import just as well as Oogway could have done.

"Behold," Shifu said in a low voice, turning to face the panda, "the Dragon Scroll." He held it out. "It is yours."

The panda shivered with anticipation. But he didn't take it - "Wait, what happens when I read it?"

"No one knows," Shifu answered. "But legend says, you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat."

"Oh really?" The panda's paws flew up to his little ears. He pointed at the Scroll."That's cool."

"Yes," Shifu said emphatically. "And see light in the darkest cave; you will feel the universe in motion around you - "

"WOW!" the panda yelped. He jumped into a perfect bow stance. "Can I punch through walls? Can I, can I - can I do a quadruple backflip?" Tigress was starting to think they'd have to wait another thousand years to find out what was in that Scroll.

"Focus," Shifu said. "Focus." The panda subdued himself. "Read it Po, and fulfill your destiny. Read it and become: the Dragon Warrior."

"Wooaaahh," the panda exhaled. He took the container.

After a thousand years, they would finally know the secrets that Oogway had set down. If she couldn't be the one to attain it, she would at least be there to see the historic moment it was opened.

… If the panda could ever get it open.

"It's impossible to open," he grunted, twisting the end with all his might. … Shifu _had _trained him while they were gone, right?

After Shifu twisted it off, he handed it back to the panda, who removed it from the container. He cleared his throat. "Okay here goes," he muttered nervously, and he began to unroll the ancient and mystical Key to the Universe.

She watched as her comrades watched as Shifu watched, mouths agape - the panda unrolled it, trembling. They jumped - he shouted in fear at the glowing, golden light emanating from the powerful Dragon Scroll - Tigress couldn't even imagine what was about to happen - the power was unleashed -

"It's blank," the panda said. He looked up at Shifu.

_Huh?_

"What?" Shifu shouted.

"Yeah, look." The panda held the open scroll out to him. What by all the Masters above was going on…?

"No!" Shifu exclaimed, turning away. "I am forbidden to look upon…" he paused. Then in one of the worst exercises of self-control Tigress had ever seen, Shifu snatched it. She understood, she would have done the same thing - the most powerful inscription of all time, the Scroll he had dedicated his entire life to: it was finally open to him, and he was being told it wasn't even... He stared at it, flipped it, practically turned it inside out, searching...

A thousand thoughts raced through her head. Was it a mistake? Had Oogway put the wrong scroll in the case? Had he forgotten to inscribe the power into it? Had someone somehow replaced it without anyone knowing? But how could it be possible? Oogway had the power of foresight, wouldn't he have known about and stopped any such attempts? But no matter what, she could think of no logical explanation; the Scroll was just…

"...Blank." Shifu looked up, mystified. "I don't…" He turned. He looked at Tigress, and the Five. "I don't understand." Her heart sank.

The panda deflated. "Okay," he said, turning away, "so like… Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all."

Tigress would be lying if she'd said the same thought had never entered her mind. But _this_… the Dragon Scroll? He had created kung-fu. He couldn't have just… led them on for years, only for his legacy to be revealed as a joke…

"No," Shifu said sharply. "Oogway was wiser than us all."

"Oh, come on!" the panda said. "Face it, he picked me by accident!" Tigress took a breath in. So he really had been just as bewildered as they when Oogway pointed at him. The panda slumped to sit on the ground. "Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior. Who am I kidding."

Her mind felt like it would explode, and her heart felt like breaking - nothing made sense. She hadn't wanted the panda to get the Scroll, yes, but… she definitely didn't want _this_. How could the Dragon Scroll be nothing? If she wasn't the Dragon Warrior, if Shifu wasn't, if the panda wasn't, then who was? Had Oogway been right about anything? Had he made it all up? Perhaps none of it would have mattered, except that the panda would have been their only hope… and now, he had no reason to believe in himself, and they needed _somebody_ right now.

"But who will stop Tai Lung?" she said quietly. Whether or not it was all a lie, something had to be done.

Crane stared at Master Shifu. "He'll destroy everything, and everyone."

"No." Her Master turned decisively, a new determination engraved on his face. He handed the Scroll back to the panda. "Evacuate the Valley," he said to the Five. "You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage."

Her heart thudded against her ribcage. "What about you Master," she said, though, as much as she didn't want to, she already knew his answer.

He looked down, averting her gaze. "I will fight him."

A torrent of objections flew to the tip of her tongue, but Tigress bit her lip. Her heart threatened to break, but she held her gaze on him.

"What?" The panda turned in dismayed disbelief.

"I can hold him off long enough for everyone to escape."

"But Shifu," the panda said in almost a whisper; then, speaking her very fear aloud, "he'll kill you."

Shifu turned to him with a sad smile. "Then I will finally have paid for my mistake."

No… it didn't have to be this way… there would be another way, there had to be… she couldn't lose him too...

"Listen to me, all of you." He faced Tigress and her friends again. "It is time for you to continue your journey without me." Then, he looked at Tigress with a gaze that held resolution, and a new warmth she'd always known was there underneath... His eyes met hers steadily, and he said, "I am very proud to have been your master." He tapped his palm to his fist, and bowed.

Tears leapt to her eyes. There were a million things that she had always wanted to say, and she could say them right now. She wanted to thank him from the bottom of her heart for raising her in the Jade Palace with Oogway and for teaching her kung-fu. She wanted to apologize for not being the warrior he'd hoped she would turn out to be. She wanted him to know that all she'd ever wanted was to be noble, like him, and to make him proud - and now that she had, she wanted to tell him she would take his place and wait for Tai Lung herself. She wanted to give him a thousand thanks for finding her at that orphanage, and for believing in her when no one else did. But there were no words that could possibly adequately express all of this. And there was no way she would be able to move Shifu from his decision. There was nothing she could say. So instead, she held her fist to her palm, and bowed in return - and hoped that, in his heart of hearts, he already knew everything.

If she didn't leave this moment, she didn't know if she would ever be able to. She turned without looking up. Master Tigress led her friends and the poor panda to the palace doors, and didn't look back.


	7. Chapter 7: The Rising

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Rising

Tigress descended the stairs with her fellow warriors as the sun set behind them. No matter what she was leaving behind, she had a mission to complete. Her duty was to protect the villagers of the Valley of Peace. Long before they even reached the bottom of the mountain, she saw the activity of the citizens increase as they hurried from home to home, checking in with family and friends and gathering only their most necessary provisions. As per usual, the villagers had figured out what was going on before the bruised and aching Five had even left the Palace - probably thanks to the servant geese.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, darkness had already fallen. She lit her lantern. Ahead, she saw clouds gathering ahead in the east: it was going to be a rough night. But she'd seen worse. Perhaps they'd manage to make an easier escape under the cover of a storm.

She didn't know what would happen when - if - they ever returned. She didn't know if she would be able to come home to the Jade Palace. She didn't know what Tai Lung would do when he realized the Dragon Scroll wasn't there, or what he'd do after he had taken out his rage -

But there was no time for such reflections now. The villagers' steadily increasing panic would only make for a chaotic exodus. She had to lead. "We've got to get them out safely," she told her comrades, as Monkey nearly stumbled upon a lost looking piglet.

"Come, little one," he said, picking it up. "Let's find your mama."

"Viper," Tigress turned to her companion, "gather the southern farmers." With a hiss of assent, Viper slithered away. "Mantis, the north," she nodded to the insect, who leapt and scuttled off. "Crane," she held out her lantern to him, "light the way."

Without hesitation, he took the lantern and flew ahead of the mass of frightened citizens.

With the Furious Five to organize, protect, and instill confidence, not one of the villagers would be left behind in the wake of Tai Lung's impending wrath. Tigress would bring up the rear - she would defend to the death, if she had to - but with any luck, they'd all be long gone before he arrived.

She was vaguely aware of the desolate panda straggling behind her on the steps, but there was nothing to say. At least she knew he could take care of himself. It was best for him to go find his family and relocate with the rest. Whatever else the future had in store… well, at this time, it wasn't her concern. There would be time, some other time, to dwell on what the events of today meant for the future. Not now. She had to focus.

"Master Tigress!" a small voice squeaked in front of her. She looked down. The bunny to whom it belonged bowed. Behind her was a wheelbarrow full of doe-eyed, round-faced bunny children.

"Can I help with them?" she asked.

"Oh! No, no, I'm alright, I'm sure you're very busy - "

Tigress gave her a nod. "I'll pull it."

"Oh - alright." She bowed once more and moved aside as Tigress took up the wheelbarrow. The faster they could all get out, the better - and if that meant easing someone's burden, Tigress was more than happy to help.

All the same, it was slow going. There were many, many citizens of the Valley of Peace to account for. The children were quiet as they made their way through the village, in spite of occasional bumps as Tigress pulled the wheelbarrow over the stone path. The panicked energy permeating the village was overwhelming for everyone, let alone a child - they even passed a couple of pigs arguing about in which cart to carry their enormous dragon statue.

They had almost reached the outskirts of the village when an enormous flash of lightning lit up the sky. The children screamed. Tigress looked up to see where it had struck - back behind the Jade Palace - and as she glanced, she thought she saw… something moving… it just started to make its way up the palace steps - could it be Tai Lung?

No, whatever it was, it was way, way too slow to be Tai Lung. Wait a minute, was that… no, it couldn't be… was that the panda?

Tigress might have tried to investigate further, had she not had direct orders - and had the children not started bawling after a second bolt of lighting, more powerful than the first, struck again.

"Oh, dear," said the mother. "Shh… Hush… Everything's going to be alright…" But her fruitless attempts to hide her own general distress over the situation did little to support the comforting sentiments she put forth. Her ears were low, and the worry in her eyes said far more than her words.

"Your mama's right," Tigress told them in a low voice. The bunnies immediately became quiet. "My friends and I are here, and we'll look after you, too. You will be safe with us."

Something about her authority made them believe her immediately. They watched her haul their wheelbarrow up the first oncoming hill in awe. One bunny, crouched in the back, distinct from the others only in that he had white spots around his eyes amidst his otherwise all-gold fur, said loudly, "Where are your friends? I don't see them."

Tigress pointed up and ahead, where they could make out the golden glow of a lantern swaying as it flew in front of the exodus of villagers. "That's my friend, Master Crane." Almost in unison, their eyes all widened. "And see all those farmers coming up the hill from the left?" she pointed. "That's my friend Mantis leading them."

"I don't see him," the precocious golden bunny said.

"That's because he's very small."

"Why?"

"He's a bug."

"Oh yeah."

"And see all the other farmers coming from the right?" They all nodded eagerly, following Tigress's gesture. "There's my friend Viper."

"Master Viper!" another bunny shouted excitedly, leaning over the side of the wheelbarrow. Chuckling a little, the mother nudged her safely back.

"And my friend Monkey is ahead of us, making sure other families like yours stick together." She looked up - just above the trees, she could see the sky starting to lighten. There were no storm clouds ahead, and the golden light of the sun was just starting to peer over the tree leaves. Soon, they could leave this night behind them...

"Master Tigress, is the Dragon Warrior your friend too?"

Tigress looked back - this question had come from a tiny voice in the front of the wheelbarrow. This bunny clutched the sleeves of her pink tunic, her white fur rustling in the breeze as she stared up at her with enormous eyes. Tigress opened her mouth. "The Dragon - "

But before she could say anything else, she caught sight of the strangest thing. Just over the bunnies' heads, she saw these figures tumbling down the steps of the Jade Palace…. She squinted. Was it Shifu and Tai Lung? She shouldn't watch... It was so far away, she could barely make them out. But she could not look away... Wait, she couldn't see Shifu… Instead, she thought - Could it be... Tai Lung wasn't fighting Shifu, but instead, he was fighting - ?

"Whoa!" the bunnies exclaimed. Tigress had just pulled the wheelbarrow over a particularly large rock on their way up the mountain.

"Apologies," Tigress said.

"That was fun!" the golden bunny giggled.

The mother, a little out of breath from the steep incline, hopped in front of the wheelbarrow to give Tigress a smile. "You're a natural," she murmured. "Do you ever think about having kids?"

"I can't say that I do," Tigress said, her mind racing. She had to stop looking back. No matter what she wanted to see, she was too far away to be certain. It wouldn't be helpful to get her hopes up right now. Her priority was the safe exodus of all the citizens of the Valley.

"Of course, that would definitely cut into the warrior life," the rabbit sighed. "Don't rush. In front of you they're being angels, but... children can be absolute monsters sometimes," she chuckled, and wiped a hand over her forehead.

Tigress twitched her ears back. Well, she supposed she would know about that more than anyone…

"But honestly," the mother sighed, looking up at her, "I love them more than anything. Can't imagine my life without them." Tigress smiled down at her as she continued, "They're all I have. We… lost their father recently, he was very ill."

"I'm sorry," Tigress said. The bunny became quiet.

"Some days are harder than others," she said in an undertone. "Being a mother without anyone else to share the responsibility with is… difficult. But my babies are the joy of my life." She reached back and scratched the ear of her little white bunny, who smiled shyly.

Tigress glanced down at the little mother as she trudged along next to her, ears askew as she tried to hide her struggle to keep up. The kung-fu Master slowed imperceptibly. Though the bunny couldn't be all that much older than Tigress was, she couldn't imagine what it was like to be a mother, or to lose a husband. But she knew very well what it felt like to be alone… perhaps now more than ever. "They're very lucky to have a mother who cares so much."

The weary bunny smiled again. "Thank you so much for helping us today. Help from honorable people like you makes all the difference."

Tigress looked away. She wished she'd been able to help by stopping Tai Lung at the bridge - then this family never would have had to uproot their already tender lives in the first place. And Shifu wouldn't have had to -

But just then, almost everyone at the base of the mountain looked back. A sound had pierced the early morning sky, echoing and bouncing around the Valley: a sound like the shriek of an enraged feline -

Tigress looked up. It _was_ an enraged feline. The distant figure of Tai Lung shot up vertically into the air -

"AAAaaaa!" The little bunnies screamed at the sight of the monster. Their mother gasped as the wheelbarrow rocked - and before Tigress even knew how it had happened, it flipped over and the children flew out.

"It's him! It's him!" The golden bunny yelled, hopping up and pointing as the other children ran in circles, some hiding behind their mother's tunic, others dodging under Tigress's legs and tail -

"Quiet! Get back in," Tigress said. She watched Tai Lung arc and fly back down. She flipped the wheelbarrow rightside up. "You'll be alright, I promise. Get back in. Now."

Those nearest her, still whimpering, obeyed. The mother, clenching her jaw to try and hide her own terror, dropped another one into the wheelbarrow. Tigress clutched the handlebars with both paws and began to charge uphill, trying to catch sight of Crane's location.

"Hang on, hang on." The sharp voice of the mother bunny cut across the creak of the wheels. "We're missing one," she said, pulling Tigress's silken tunic.

Tigress looked over her shoulder. There were so many little bunnies, how could she tell… Then she realized. The shy little white one in pink wasn't in the front where she'd been. She wasn't anywhere.

"Xiao Chen Chi," the mother whispered. "Chen Chi! Where are you?" She ran about, her eyes wide, looking so frantically Tigress thought she wouldn't be able to find anything in such a state. The Master looked back toward the Valley, from whence the continued sounds of shouts and crashes echoed. She didn't know who was fighting who, or who was winning - but that didn't matter right now.

"Ma'am," Tigress said, holding out the handle of the wheelbarrow, "You take your children for now. Keep moving. I will find Chen Chi."

"But - "

"I will find her, I promise. Now go."

Tigress barely took time to make sure the mother had grabbed hold the wheelbarrow before she turned, leapt onto the nearest tree branch, and climbed toward the golden sky. Once she surfaced, she squinted into the sun's rising light. "Crane!" she called.

Within seconds she heard the whooshing sound of wings, and Master Crane appeared at her side. "What's going on?"

"A child's gone missing," she said. "A bunny, white fur, pink robes - name is Chen Chi. Spot her for me."

"I'm on it." In another moment he was off, striking a thin, blurry silhouette against the sun's fire-orange rays. He circled the skies as Tigress returned to the ground. The child couldn't have gotten far.

She returned to the spot where the wheelbarrow had flipped, scouring the grass for clues - it was a mess of tracks, but eventually she caught sight of a set of little paws creating a trail that split off from the rest, away from the chaos toward a crowd of trees leading to a denser forest.

Tigress bounded over the terrain. "Chen Chi!" she called, leaping over a rock. She was so small, she could have hidden almost anywhere… unless someone or something had gotten to her first…

"Tigress!"

She looked up. Crane soared down to stand at her side. "No sign of her," he sighed.

She furrowed her brow. This wasn't good…

"...But I did see a cluster of large rocks that would make a great hiding place."

Tigress nodded. "Take me there."

Crane darted between the trees and led her down a short trail up the mountain. Jutting out from the slope was a collection of sharp boulders, so tightly packed together she didn't see how anything could fit inside…

"Chen Chi!" Tigress sped to the nearest rock, peering around its crevices. "Chen Chi. It's Master Tigress. Are you in there?"

"Yes," replied a faint voice. Tigress knelt down. At the juncture between the base of the rock and the ground's incline was a small, dark hole. Inside she could just make out the glint of pink silk. But Tigress could barely fit her arm through, the space was so small. She could just deliver a blow to the rock and shatter it, or try to lift it out of the way - but one wrong move and the child would be crushed.

"Chen Chi, you need to come out of there."

"No!" She gave a muffled cry. "The monster is out there!"

"Tai Lung isn't going to hurt you, I promise," Tigress said. "But you need to come with me."

"No!" she whimpered. Tigress heard sniffles. "He can hurt everyone - even you!"

Tigress turned to look at Crane, who watched helplessly. She looked toward the Valley, where the sounds of fighting went on and on. What else could she do? She turned back to the bunny. "...Your mama is worried about you," she said. The sniffles turned to tears, but still the child wouldn't budge.

"Chen Chi…" Tigress tried to catch her eye through the crevice, but it was too dark. "You don't need to be afraid. The Dragon Warrior will save you."

She fell silent. "He - he will?"

In that instant, any fear or resentment Tigress harbored in her heart fizzled away. All that she had room for now was the burning hope that somehow - even though none of it made any sense - all of it would make a difference; because if the panda was still fighting back after all this time, Oogway had to have been right about some things. "Yes," she said, "He will stop the monster."

"The Dragon Warrior? R - really?"

"Yes."

There was silence again. Tigress's heart stopped. Then, slowly, she saw a little white paw clad in pink extend outside of the hole.

If Chen Chi had second guesses about reemerging, Tigress eliminated the time for them. She snatched the tiny paw and lifted her up in a heartbeat, cradling her with one arm. "Let's go find your family."

It didn't take long to find their way back to the clearing where hundreds of villagers were still slowly and steadily making their way up the slope. "Is that them?" Crane extended his wing. Sure enough, up ahead, the mother pulled the sturdy wheelbarrow full of little bunnies toward the rising sun. Tigress waved a paw - the mother waved back, releasing a visible gasp of relief when she caught sight of her daughter in Tigress's arms.

"Does the Dragon Warrior really look like a dragon?" Chen Chi murmured gravely.

"No."

"What does he look like?"

"Well," Tigress glanced at Crane, who walked beside her as they continued up the incline, "he's a panda bear, so… he looks like a furry black and white bear."

"He has white fur too?" she whispered excitedly.

"Yes," she said. "He's got black fur, and he has white fur, like you."

To Tigress's delight, the child's face suddenly lit up. She giggled. "He looks a lot different than I thought!"

"He looks different than a lot of people thought."

"I didn't know a dragon could have fur too," Chen chi said thoughtfully. "Then maybe I could be a dragon too!"

Before Tigress could reply to this jump in logic, her ear twitched. The breeze shifted. From the Valley, she heard a deep whooshing sound - she and Crane and those nearest them turned back. And Tigress could not believe her eyes.

From the center of the village radiated a massive, circular golden wave of light and energy. It was a power unlike anything she had ever seen before... and yet, from all her years of training and studying in the art of kung-fu, she knew exactly what it was. The Wuxi Finger Hold… It was no less astounding to see in person. But, the panda couldn't know a move like that… only someone like Tai Lung would, not even Tigress knew how to execute it… unless… could he? Either way, no living mortal on the receiving end could withstand its power. It was a finishing move… which meant the fight was over.

She watched as the light rippled toward them, and a wind rushed with it - a wind so powerful, she turned her back and bent her head over Chen Chi to shield her from the oncoming dust. When it had passed, the little bunny looked up at her. "What was that?"

Tigress glanced back, her heart pounding. She inhaled. "I'm not sure," she said. She looked at Crane again, who met her gaze with the exact same hidden hope. Then he shot into the sky. "Stay with your mother," she told the bunny, "We're going to find out."

* * *

From the rooftop, Tigress watched the dust hover in the air around the villagers as they timidly walked their familiar streets. It was eerily quiet throughout the Valley. Not a single sound of a scuffle, or a footstep. Tigress, Crane, and their comrades immediately had descended to the Valley to discover what had happened, expecting the villagers to wait. But even the most cautious could not prevent the curious - and though they had rapidly searched through the dusty streets, Tigress had seen nor sensed any sign of Tai Lung - but even if she was still on guard, in her heart, she did not fear for their safety…

And then, a soft whisper rose among the crowd. Tigress watched Chen Chi bravely hop in front of her mother and point - and then she saw him.

Rising from the dust, the silhouette of a hero emerged, clad in his hat and cloak, and returned from an arduous journey whose utmost challenges would remain a mystery to all.

Then the dust cleared. It was the panda, a stray apron tangled around his neck and a pot nestled on his head. He coughed and tossed the apron aside.

The cheer that arose from the villagers was deafening. They surrounded him, applauding and shouting, grateful and relieved beyond imagining - their greatest fear, Tai Lung, was defeated. The panda had saved them.

She watched as a goose pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "That great big beautiful kung-fu warrior is my son!" he shouted, and ran forward. Overcome, the panda enveloped his goose-father in a joyful hug, and the pot on his head rolled away.

Tigress leapt off the roof. As if planned by some unspoken agreement, the Furious Five met at the front of the crowd, mere feet away from the warrior who'd saved them all. They didn't look at each other - only at him.

The panda looked up, releasing the goose. He smiled at them. "Hey, guys."

Tigress had seen many things for the first time in the last several hours. Some were moments she'd hoped for her whole life: some, things she never would have believed; but never could she have ever imagined the feeling of pure relief that would surge through her at the sight of this panda. Her Master Shifu's greatest mistake had been wiped clean. A burden lifted from her heart: the monster was defeated, and he was the one who'd done it: with no extra help, no special power, and no Dragon Scroll.

She stepped forward. She met his gaze. Words were not adequate to repay him for everything he had just done.

Tigress held her palm to her fist. "Master," she said, and bowed to the Dragon Warrior.

"Master," her comrades echoed, and she felt the entire Valley bow their heads in respect for their savior.

She looked up and smiled at him. He gazed back in shock. And then, he reacted in a way she did not expect.

"Master?" he said, with a disbelieving chuckle. His eyes scanned each of them - he looked at them not with eyes of someone who thought he was better, but with a glint of admiration - and she realized the depth of his humility. But in the next moment, he gasped. "Master Shifu!" Without another thought of their demonstration of respect, the Dragon Warrior turned and started toward the Jade Palace - gave the Five a little bow and a wave - and began to run up the Palace steps.

She watched him go. The mere fact that he had spared not a moment's thought in celebration of his own victory, but instead had thought only of their Master, proved him far more than worthy. Part of her wanted to go to Shifu too, but there would be time. She had to assist the villagers in their safe return to the Valley.

She turned and smiled at Chen Chi, her siblings, and her mother. They waved. Tigress waved back, and the family turned to go home. Everything would be alright now. The Valley of Peace was safe once more, now that the Dragon Warrior was here. She stood with her friends and watched the happy citizens milling about, some already unpacking, some planning celebratory parties for the evening, and some just tired and glad to be home; then she closed her eyes and lifted her face toward the sun as it ascended into the sky.

* * *

Author's Note:

Thank you again for the lovely reviews. So, so insightful and encouraging! :) I got a couple thoughtful questions from gsmith1030; I don't want to give away the next couple chapters too much; I think you'll be answered there. I will say that I don't believe Tigress herself changes much. What changes is the way she sees Po, which changes how we see her in the films as she opens up to him. The rest I hope will come through in the storytelling. Let me know if you have more questions and I will answer them if I can. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks again, everyone.


	8. Chapter 8: Plain Old Noodle Soup

CHAPTER EIGHT

Plain Old Noodle Soup

In the dark courtyard, Tigress watched the stocky, large-eared, and ferocious silhouette of her Master as it stood out against the silver light of the moon. He punched rock after rock in rigid dedication, shattering each one after a single blow. Behind him, she mirrored his movements. _He's amazing_…

Shifu turned suddenly to face her, his eyes glinting in the dark. "Time to develop this Tiger-style of yours." He threw a peach into the air.

In another moment, Tigress leapt and squashed it with a single kick. He tossed two more into the air, then three - then five - and she squashed each one perfectly in a single blow.

She landed, breathing heavily, as the multitude of squishy peach remnants rained down on them. She watched him hopefully as he watched her, expressionless. Then she gave him a hold fist salute. "Have I made you happy yet, Master?" Suddenly she looked at her paws. In the moonlight, they looked not orange and striped, but grey, and… spotted. She dropped them.

"You have done well… but you are not Tai Lung," he said, his voice toneless… and joyless. "Again." He threw an abundance of peaches into the air once more with lightning speed. Her paws now their normal color, she steeled herself, and with every ounce of kung-fu mastery she possessed, launched herself into the air once more and attacked the plushy fruit.

After executing a perfect center-split kick, she threw herself vertically into the air to crush the last peach as it flew in front of the moon - but just then, the night shifted. An enormous ball of white and gold fire appeared in the sky. The peach hovered in the air as its fruit melted away and its hard core became one with the light, which shone as bright as the sun. A deep voice - was it Tai Lung? Or... was it Oogway? - echoed all around her, "_He came in glory, on a ball of fire_…" The light that was the sun circled the moon, and again she was filled with the burning need to act before something terrible happened - before she lost everything -

The sun and moon spun around each other, alternating darkness and light, growing and diminishing, until the white hot fire grew and shot away -

"NO!"

Tigress gasped and opened her eyes. The morning light crept in through the opaque parchment of her room. She shook her head. Her dreams were getting stranger and stranger.

She stretched and got out of the bed. She'd have to start taking a closer look at her nighttime routine. Was it something she ate? Or something on her mind? She folded her blanket. She remembered that, before she fell asleep, she was less rigorous in her meditation… and she had found her thoughts wandering and herself speculating about just how the Dragon Warrior had managed the impressive feat of defeating Tai Lung. It was a question that didn't bother her so much as gnaw at her curiosity. He was good, that was clear - Shifu had certainly trained him. But, all bias aside, he definitely wasn't better than she was. Just how had he gotten close enough to Tai Lung to perform the Wuxi Finger Hold? If she had known the move and tried it on him, she was sure that Tai Lung would have paralyzed her or attacked her before she could have done it. How did the Dragon Warrior manage it? What was his secret?

But she could muse later. She dressed just in time for the morning gong, as a new day in the now most peaceful place in China began.

* * *

The Dragon Warrior's triumphant defeat of Tai Lung brought a new era of harmony and prosperity to all the inhabitants of the Valley of Peace. Parties and celebrations permeated the evenings, trading and traveling increased under the glowing feeling of safety, and businesses flourished. One such business was Mr. Ping's noodle shop. Already a popular spot in the Valley for hungry villagers seeking comfort food, its profits skyrocketed once it became common knowledge that the noodle shop was the legendary Dragon Warrior's place of origin. Tigress, her Master, and her friends at the Jade Palace had never visited the shop before, and previously had little time or desire to. But as the late Master Oogway might have said, there is no time like the present.

The Dragon Warrior plopped down at the Palace kitchen table with the Five, a little pungent after a hard day of training with Master Shifu - but no one minded. He said, "So… my dad is gonna renovate our restaurant in the next couple of months, but he was wondering if you guys and Master Shifu would wanna come? He wants to make you all a free meal. You know, to say thanks for everything, and... being cool."

The Five were instantly on board.

"That soup is the best thing my chemoreceptors have ever tasted," Mantis said.

Monkey leaned over. "Hey, this time, we'll get to try the Secret Ingredient version!"

"Honestly, I have trouble believing it could be that much better than yours, Po," Viper said with a smile.

The Dragon Warrior just grinned back with relief, but he didn't say anything in response - for once.

Tigress would be lying if she said she wasn't curious to try it. Initially she might have declined out of respect for Master Shifu's diet-plan orders. But she couldn't decline a request from the Dragon Warrior. Besides, ever since Tai Lung had been defeated, Shifu seemed… a little different. His temper no longer flared during training sessions, and he was less rigid in the way he spoke to them. It was amazing how the simple lifting of a burden could change someone. Just, not the way he felt about her.

But he was proud of her. He'd finally said so himself. That was enough. And the truth was, as long as he was content, so was she. And it was all thanks to a panda who had fallen out of the sky by accident - and then saved them all.

She glanced over at the Dragon Warrior as he cackled loudly at a joke from Monkey. He was totally different from the fierce warrior they'd all expected, but his defeat of Tai Lung had changed everything around them, just a little bit. She had no idea how he'd done it… but she was grateful.

Just before sunset, the Furious Five, Master Shifu, and the Dragon Warrior approached a small stone archway leading to a humble, two storey home with an open kitchen in the front. The air was thick with the aroma of spices, but the ground and tables were clean - and empty. The restaurant must have just closed for the day.

"Okay," the Dragon Warrior said, tapping his digits together in agitation. Was he nervous? "Here we are! Hi Dad!"

"Come in, Po, come in!" A goose wearing a large noodle hat hid a cleaning rag behind his back, and waved from a nearby table: it was the Dragon Warrior's father, who had embraced him after Tai Lung's defeat. "These must be your friends!"

"Dad, meet Master Shifu," the Dragon Warrior gestured to their Master, who bowed.

"It is an honor, Mr. Ping," he said.

"Master Shifu!" Mr. Ping exclaimed. "Such an honor to be serving you again," he laughed happily.

A puzzled look crossed Shifu's face as he mumbled, "...Again?"

"And these are Masters Crane, Viper, Mantis, Monkey," the Dragon Warrior continued quickly, pointing to each of them, "and Master Tigress."

"Ah, of course!" Mr. Ping bowed. "Such an honor! Come, I have prepared a table specially for all of you."

He led them to a large table in the center, around which all other tables had been cleared to give it space. Places were already set with plates, cups, and chopsticks. Master Shifu sat at the end, but the rest of the Five meandered behind the Dragon Warrior as he headed toward the stove in the kitchen.

"Can we watch you cook?" Monkey asked, as Mantis hopped on his shoulder. "I want to see if I can figure out the Secret Ingredient!"

Mr. Ping laughed and lifted a pile of pots about twice his height. "Over my empty change purse! But you're welcome to take a seat at the counter while we finish the soup." He started to head toward the back, and was almost through the door when Tigress saw he was about to knock off the top several pots under the doorframe..

"Watch out!" She leapt over the counter and caught them in half a second.

"Oh, thank you, Master Tigress," Mr. Ping said, flashing her a relieved smile.

"Let me carry these for you." She held the door open with her elbow as the goose walked through, then she followed behind.

They entered a shady little alleyway, empty apart from a group of crates and barrels and other storage units that sat across from the door. After Mr. Ping placed his pots in one of the crates, he took the remaining ones from Tigress. He glanced up at her, then looked away. "Master Tigress, I have a very personal question to ask you," he said suddenly.

She blinked and furrowed her brow, but stayed silent.

"If faced with the decision, what would you choose," he paused, and glanced between the door and the alley entrance to make sure no one was listening. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Noodles - or tofu?"

"Oh," she said. Not a question she'd been expecting - nonetheless, it was one she didn't mind. "Hm." Normally she might have answered tofu. But here, at Mr. Ping's noodle shop, she wasn't sure if she should say so. "Well… why not both?"

He stared at her. "Both…" he murmured to himself, then turned and began shifting some crates around.

She watched him. "Mr. Ping, if I may - why do you ask?"

"Long ago, before I inherited this noodle shop from my father," he told her gravely, "I dreamt of running away and learning how to make tofu. But I never did, and here we are," he turned to face her. "I had given up that dream so long ago, I almost forgot all about it… until Po made me remember." He pushed another crate aside, revealing a long wooden board. "You see, I had always told Po his destiny was to take over the noodle shop from me," he said tearfully, "but, he had another dream." He glanced back at her.

"Kung fu," she said, her face clearing.

Mr. Ping nodded. "And I started to think," he continued, "what if I decided to follow my stupid dream too? Maybe it's not so stupid after all - if my great big little panda could become a kung-fu warrior, why couldn't I make tofu? But, I have a problem - I still love making noodles."

"Why is that a problem?"

"Well, making both would mean increased supply, rising costs, extended preparation, to name a few things…" he said thoughtfully as he began to remove the board, "but you know, I think you might be right. There aren't many shops out there that make both noodle soup and tofu… And besides, it might be a good idea to expand. After my renovations are complete, no one will be able to resist eating here!"

Tigress eyed the board he'd been hiding. "What do your renovations entail?"

He beamed at her. "Because of Po, I'm changing the name of my restaurant." He pulled out the long wooden board to reveal lettering on the end. It was a sign. And at the beginning, it said 'DRAGON WARRIOR.'

"Because I was at a crossroads, I didn't know if I should call it, 'Dragon Warrior Noodles' or 'Dragon Warrior Tofu…' but now, thanks to you," Mr. Ping spread his wings dramatically, "the restaurant will be called: 'Dragon Warrior Noodles _and_ Tofu!'" He blinked away a tear and looked down at the sign with immense pride. "I may need a bigger board."

Tigress smiled softly. "Mr. Ping, you're making this sign all by yourself? For the Dragon Warrior?"

"Of course! He's my son! It's also far cheaper than hiring workers," he said cheerily, shifting the sign back into its place behind the crates. "But I'll also be having lots of artwork and portraits made of him to hang on the walls. It'll be the most popular place in the Valley, all thanks to my Po!"

"That's wonderful," she told him. His enthusiasm was moving. The Dragon Warrior was lucky to have a proud father who took such joy in his achievements… But to her disappointment, she found that the thought twinged her heart with just the smallest bit of sadness.

"But don't tell him - it's a surprise!" Mr. Ping whispered, as Tigress helped him stack the rest of the crates.

As if summoned by the mention of himself, the Dragon Warrior suddenly appeared in the door. "Hey Da - " he yelled, then cut himself off. He caught sight of Tigress. "Oh, uh, hey guys, how's it going?"

"We were just talking about all the baby pictures I have to show your friends!" Mr. Ping said, waddling over to his son.

"Oohh, heh heh," he glanced over at Tigress, his eyes wide. "Dad, that's okay, I mean they're super busy, I'm sure they don't - "

"I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding," Mr. Ping chuckled, patting his arm as Tigress followed them both back into the kitchen. "Though I have a couple of really cute ones you should see, Master Tigress. No, we were talking about how much _wisdom_ you're bringing everyone in the Valley, telling the children the secret of how you defeated Tai Lung!"

"Dad, it's no secret…" the Dragon Warrior said, glancing back at her again to give her a small smile. He joined his father at the counter, and the kitchen was drowned in the sounds of knives chopping, bowls clanging, and noodles pouring.

Tigress watched them, her tail drifting to the side. What _was_ that secret?

"Psst! Tigress!"

She turned. Monkey was hanging in the staircase at the back, Mantis perched on his shoulder. "What?"

"You've got to see this!" Monkey snickered. "Come upstairs."

"Po has posters of all _The Furious Five_! All of us, all over his bedroom!" Mantis exclaimed. "It's amazing! At least I think it's his bedroom... I mean it could be Mr. Ping's. I don't want to assume."

Wow. Guess he really had been a big fan after all… But there was no way she would disrespect the Dragon Warrior by sneaking into his room. She shook her head at her comrades when Mr. Ping suddenly shouted, "The soup is ready!"

The Five and Shifu seated themselves at the table in a flash - Master Shifu at the end, Tigress to his right, and Mr. Ping at the other end of the table. The Dragon Warrior poured the soup as Tigress smiled at her comrades' antsy anticipation.

"Many thanks to the Furious Five and Master Shifu, for giving my son his dream, and for gracing us with their presence at our restaurant," Mr. Ping proclaimed.

The Dragon Warrior smiled sheepishly. "It's great to have you guys here."

Master Shifu bowed his head. "The honor is ours."

"Thanks for having us!" Mantis said.

"Well don't just sit there, dig in!" Mr. Ping exclaimed. The others were only too eager to oblige.

"Mm." Shifu grunted his assent after just the first spoonful.

"This is delicious, Mr. Ping," Viper said.

"Okay I'll say it… the Secret Ingredient version is better," Monkey nodded ferociously, spooning more into his mouth. Tigress caught the Dragon Warrior grin at his dad. Humble in the least…

"Hmm, I disagree," Crane said. "Not that I think it's bad at all, Mr. Ping! I think they're equally good. Just… different."

"Really?" Mr. Ping said, beaming back at his son.

Well, it was now or never. Tigress lifted her chopsticks and spoon.

What followed was a sensory experience of such delight, Tigress thought she might ascend right after Oogway. She'd never tasted anything this good. She took another mouthful, making time to taste each savory flavor as it emerged. The truth was, she'd never thought much about food before, never cared too much about savoring a good meal; she'd only ever thought about its functionality before, how it could make her stronger, or fill her up before a prolonged battle… but never had she thought she could enjoy food like this. She didn't know how the Dragon Warrior's soup might be different from his father's, but either way, it far exceeded her expectations.

"How do you like it, Tigress?" Monkey said with a grin between mouthfuls.

She looked down. Her bowl was already practically empty. "Heavenly." She smiled at Mr. Ping and his son, and took her last mouthful.

"What is the Secret Ingredient? You have to tell us," Monkey said.

"Of course not!" Mr. Ping pursed his beak. "Then it wouldn't be a secret!"

Tigress didn't really care what the Secret Ingredient was. She was just hoping the Dragon Warrior would bring the pot back out and give them seconds.

But not much later, Mr. Ping cleared away the bowls and spoons, announcing that the Dragon Warrior would serve them dessert soon. In the meantime, Mr. Ping somehow managed to challenge Master Shifu to a game of mahjong at another table while they waited for dinner to settle. Viper, Crane, Mantis, and Monkey offered to help clean in the kitchen, though the latter spent most of the time chatting while the others did the work. Tigress had something else on her mind, though - all this talk of secrets - and sat at the table, staring up at the golden evening sky.

"Hey, Master Tigress."

Tigress looked down. The Dragon Warrior stood in front of her with an enormous pot. "Wanted to see if you'd like any seconds!"

She gave him a small smile. "I was actually wondering if I could ask you something."

"Oh - uh, sure," he said nervously, perhaps thinking of his dad's promise to show her his baby pictures.

She took a deep breath. "When you fought Tai Lung…." she paused.

He looked at her. The corner of his mouth twitched, hiding a smile. "Do you - do you wanna know how I did it?"

Tigress nodded. The Dragon Warrior put the pot down and sat in front of her. And then, to her puzzlement, he pulled out the Dragon Scroll. Smiling broadly now as he opened it, he put it on the table in front of her.

She furrowed her brow. She looked down at the glossy, reflective parchment to see nothing but her own bewildered face looking back at her. Just as before, it was totally empty.

"I… don't understand," she told him.

She didn't know whether to be put off by his continued smile or not. Then, the Dragon Warrior leaned a little closer and said, simply: "There is no Secret Ingredient."

There is no…? She stared at the empty scroll. Her face, dawning with realization, stared back. All this time… All this time, they had all believed that the secrets of the Dragon Scroll contained unimaginable, limitless power. The rumors of superior hearing, becoming in harmony with the universe, and unbeatable strength… And then it turned out to be blank. But the Dragon Warrior had found that the limitless power of the scroll was really just a simple, profound lesson. It wasn't nothing….

"It's just... you," she said, looking back up at him. He nodded, his jade eyes beaming at her.

She looked back down at her face in the scroll. She'd spent so many years believing the Dragon Scroll would be the thing that would finally make her the perfect warrior; she would finally be better than herself. She would master control. She would master strength, and gentleness. She would be strong as steel, unbeatable, and worthy of Master Shifu's pride. But there was no secret. There was no extra power, there was no special ingredient… the panda himself was enough. She was enough.

It wasn't nothing... It was everything.

Tigress blinked and looked away. She felt more humbled in this moment than she'd ever felt in years under Master Shifu's unsparing training. Master Oogway had been right about everything. The Dragon Warrior was wise beyond his years, and his humility and heart knew no limit. The panda had finally learned that he himself was enough… and in so doing, had taught her - had taught them all - the same thing. She rolled up the scroll and held it out to him, finally meeting his gaze. "Po… thank you."

His ears perked a little and he grinned. He took it from her gently. "Hey, what are fellow warriors... friends... for?" he shrugged. Then he slid a warm bowl across the table to her.

She took it and smiled back at him as he returned to the kitchen. After all this time… there was no secret ingredient. She picked up a spoon and looked at the broth. "Hm," she chuckled.

Hardly a moment later, she heard a loaded sigh from behind her. She looked around as Mr. Ping shouted, "I win again! Are you sure you don't want to play a third hand?"

"Two hands is all I can afford today," Master Shifu grumbled, setting himself back down in the chair next to Tigress. He put down a bowl of noodles that Po must have just given him as well, and sighed. "Never gamble," he told her sternly.

She watched him stare accusingly down at the table. "Yes, Master."

"Hm," he said. He glanced at her spoon. "Watch how much of that soup you eat. Lethargy won't serve you in combat."

She looked at him as he tapped his chopsticks and glowered at down his own bowl. Slowly, deliberately, Tigress raised her bowl to her lips and took a long sip of the broth. Shifu's eyes darted up at her as she lowered it. She twitched. A thin, lengthy noodle had accidentally stuck itself to her upper lip… in a fashion reminiscent of her Master's long mustache.

She ignored the sudden racing of her heart. Copying his murderous expression exactly, she punched her palm to her fist. "Never follow my example, Tigress. Only follow every order that pops into my head," she said, her tone sharp and gruff, like her Master's. His mouth dropped. But it was too late to stop it now: "And maybe someday…" she twirled the noodle with her claw, "you will have a mustache, like me."

He stared at her.

She stared back.

And then, he burst out laughing.

He was guffawing. Cackling. Absolutely roaring. She had never heard such a sound come out of him. He pointed his chopsticks at her, but could hardly open his eyes from laughing so hard.

She couldn't believe it.

"You… I don't even… that…" He struggled for breath, sitting back in his chair. "That was excellent," he chuckled, finally catching her gaze. "Well done."

She carefully removed the noodle to hide the upward curve of her lips. "I learned from the best," she said, her voice low.

"Tigress," he said, folding his hands over his middle, "I don't deserve a student like you."

She blinked, then started softly, "Master, I don't - "

He leaned over the table again. "Xiao Tigress, your good heart, and your loyalty - in spite of how hard I am on you - have always brought me so much joy." Just briefly, his hand touched her face. He smiled at her, and the cloud in his face lifted - all she saw was that same warmth she'd always known he had. "Thank you."

Shifu leaned back, but Tigress was rooted to her spot.

Not long ago, she'd thought she was bowing to him for the last time. But here they were, and here he was, alive, at peace, and telling her things she thought she would never hear. Truths she'd only ever dreamed of. And now, she couldn't say or do anything.

Her master stood up. He gave her a look that struck her as reminiscent of an old, wise tortoise. "I suppose, if we're too busy looking at our mistakes, we're blinded by the good that has always been around us." With the warmest smile she'd ever seen, he bowed his head to her, then left the table to return to Mr. Ping.

'_You are better than Tai Lung_,' Oogway had said. '_But I'm not the one you need to convince of that_.'

And now she finally knew, it had never been Shifu she'd needed to convince either. '_You are loved whether or not you see yourself as someone worthy of it_,' she'd been told, and now she believed it. Shifu didn't love her like he'd loved Tai Lung. He loved her for being her. The only person she'd ever needed to convince was herself. Oogway had been right about everything.

And all of it had come about because of Po.

From her spot in the growing dark, Tigress turned to face the glow of the kitchen. Master Shifu was smiling, her comrades were laughing while they worked, and Mr. Ping hugged his son. Everything had changed - but somehow, nothing had. Like an inexplicable duality. She smiled. From his spot behind the counter, Po caught sight of her sitting alone. He waved. "Hey Tigress, come here! We're having peach custard tarts for dessert!"

Tigress stood with her empty bowl, and returned to the kitchen. Who knew that something as simple as the warmth of plain old noodle soup could completely change the way she saw the world.


	9. Chapter 9: The Bean Bun Warrior

CHAPTER NINE

The Bean Bun Warrior

Life at the Jade Palace was a breath of fresh air, with its new addition of the Dragon Warrior.

The long-time occupants would always miss Oogway. But with the newly peaceful Shifu to fill his role as head Master of the Palace, and the Dragon Warrior to always keep them on their toes with his unexpectedness, they were doing better than ever.

As Tigress watched Po train and trained alongside him, she was astounded by the speed with which he was able to absorb technique. He could masterfully execute and combine new moves and stances within a few days or weeks. He knew how to use his weight to his advantage, was light on his feet, and approached every new lesson with an overt enthusiasm that was unparalleled by anyone else in the group.

As the months went on, they all came to realize it. In the midst of training, the Five and Po often ventured beyond the Valley to dispose of the occasional group of luckless bandits or pirates. In the midst of these battles, Tigress noticed that one of the Dragon Warrior's greatest strengths was his ingenuity. He used kung fu in ways that she was pretty sure no one ever had before. Without thinking, he could use any object expertly as a weapon of attack or self-defence, whether it was a pillow, chopsticks, or a bowl of noodles. His size and fluidity made him able to absorb and redirect almost any blow back at his attacker. And if none of that was enough, he came up with epic-sounding names for his own and each of the Five's signature moves: in example, for Viper's coil-control move, Po titled it "Puppet of Death." Or every time Crane helped direct Po's leaps and falls, he called it "Wings of Justice!" At first the Five weren't too sure how to respond to it… should they laugh? Act more… epic? Or take it in stride? But as time went on, they got used to it, and Tigress thought she caught just the tiniest glimpse of enjoyment in Crane's eye whenever Po announced his critical move. Eventually they even came to rely on these titles as an efficient way to strategize in the midst of a battle.

This led to another realization of Tigress's. Po made a fantastic leader. His lack of experience actually allowed him to view battles in a fresh, out-of-the-box way that none of the Five could. He somehow seemed to have an encyclopedic understanding of all of their strengths, and he could see the bigger picture and imagine how best to apply them in the moment. So, as time went on, Tigress found herself gradually ceding her unofficial position as leader of the Furious Five.

And she didn't mind at all.

Po brought a positivity to the group that she never could; and that, she found, was almost more important than any of his other strengths put together. His warmth became such an anchor to them that very soon, the Five and Shifu couldn't imagine their lives without him. It was almost as if he'd always been a part of them.

And yet, the Dragon Warrior never failed to surprise. Just when she thought they were settling in to a new routine, the Winter Feast came around as it did every year - but this time, Po was hosting. His perfect execution of the countless specifics of the ceremony was surprise enough - then he surprised everyone at the dinner by leaving in the middle of it to fulfil his duty to his father. No one had ever done such a thing before. Shifu had been shocked to say the very least. But it hadn't taken long for them to follow the Dragon Warrior's lead. They ventured down the mountain to the village, and spent the best holiday Tigress could remember at Mr. Ping's noodle shop. From the noodles, to the lanterns, to the marvelous folk dancing, it felt more like being part of a family than ever.

Nothing had changed, but everything had. Ever since the secrets of the Dragon Scroll had been revealed to her, Tigress began to notice the world around her differently. She had never realized how refreshing it was to spend idle time in the village, around friends and among the children of the Valley who, much like little Chen Chi, saw her as someone to admire, not to be intimidated by, and often looked to her for comfort and fun - things she had never been in a position to offer someone before. She noticed smaller things too - she had never before seen the way the light shone through the pink petals of the Sacred Peach Tree and down onto the Valley below. And she had never known just how fun it was to watch Po top his own record in a Bean Bun Challenge.

Finally, Tigress's training moments with the Dragon Warrior taught her balance in a new way. She learned to rely on him, to lean on him, to lift him, and let him lean on her. They practiced new combinations and techniques which allowed them to use his size, speed, and her strength to their advantage. Po grounded her, and yet made everything lighter all at the same time. It was remarkable. She realized she was far better with him than she had ever been alone. And though they never said it, she knew he felt the same.

Everything in their lives was as perfect as it could be.

Until one day. There was one particular battle in the Musicians' Village, in which a pack of bandit wolves came to steal all of the metal instruments. Everything went absolutely amazing - the Five were in sync, the Dragon Warrior was better than ever - until the very end. Po, as the leader, called on his comrades throughout to help him take out as many bandits as possible, maximizing their efficiency. The Dragon Warrior's focus was on point today. Po and Tigress performed their new signature dual-move, the Double Death Strike, to perfection; they threw each other's weight around before Tigress finally tossed him in the air like he was a tiny peach, and they were able to take out about twenty bandits in one go.

They had rescued all the pots, pans, and instruments that the bandits had attempted to steal, and all the villagers were safe - but there was one wolf with an eye patch, more dogged than the rest, who attempted to attack the Dragon Warrior rather than surrender.

Tigress turned to help, but Po held out a paw. "I got this," he said, and of course she believed him - so she returned her focus to the villagers -

Until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something really bizarre happen. As the wolf swung his bludgeon, Po froze. He didn't move to block him, or to doge him - he was about to take the hit.

"Po!" Tigress jumped toward him to block it, but not fast enough. They both went flying as the wolf landed his hit square in Po's face.

"Chew on that, tubby!" the wolf cackled, and in another moment, he had vanished with the rest of the pots and pans.

Tigress blinked and sat up. What was going on? The fight had gone without issue - better than planned. Sure, Po occasionally made blunders in his innovative style, but he had never just frozen like that before.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Viper hissed.

Tigress flipped over a dazed, upside-down bunny. She turned to Po. "What happened?"

"Yeah?" Crane said softly, looking around.

"I think I just saw… I think..." Po rubbed his jaw, a bemused look on his face. Then his eyes widened. "I gotta go."

"But Po, what about - "

But before Crane could finish, the Dragon Warrior bounded off up the mountain. Tigress watched him go. Well, hopefully he was off to sort out whatever was distracting him, and then everything would be fine.

But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, the new uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that worse was yet to come.

* * *

Sure enough, their next mission came early that evening, along with some shocking news:

"He's dead."

Tigress gaped as Shifu lowered the scroll in his hands. He had just finished reading an urgent message from Gongmen City. It contained a devastating update on the fate of Master Thundering Rhino, a legacy kung fu warrior and legend.

"Whoa," Po said softly, taking the scroll from Shifu. But how could this be? Talk about indestructible warriors… If anyone was, it was Master Thundering Rhino.

"That's impossible," Crane piped up.

Tigress furrowed her brow in agreement. "Rhino's horn defense is impervious to any technique…"

"It was no technique! Lord Shen has created a weapon that breathes fire, and spits metal," Shifu exclaimed, turning to face them from his spot at the top of the Palace stairs. "Unless he is stopped - this could mean the end of kung fu."

Tigress's mouth dropped open again, as she stared at the grave face of her Master from her place at Po's side. This day kept getting worse and worse… The end of kung fu? If kung fu was abolished, then Oogway's entire legacy would be wiped away. A fighting style created to protect peace would be nonexistent, and all of China would be at the hands of the unmerciful...

The Dragon Warrior's shoulders sloped forward. "But I just got kung fu!"

"And now, you must save it," Shifu said fiercely. He pointed his late Master's staff toward the east. "Go, destroy this weapon, and bring Lord Shen to justice!"

Without another thought, Tigress and the rest of the Five leapt down the mountain. The journey to Gongmen City would be one of their longest, and they needed to get moving now if they wanted to stop Lord Shen before he grew in power. This was a critical mission, a challenge unlike any the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior had ever faced before - but with an indestructible weapon like the one Shifu described paving the way for a power-hungry Lord, the safety of China would need their courage now more than ever. Po was a little slower in getting going, but Tigress didn't worry - he always had a way of catching up and somehow getting ahead of the rest of them eventually.

Sure enough, Po finally came to lead the way as they ran through the Valley, the villagers cheering them on. Nothing was going to stop them -

"Oh Po!"

\- Except for maybe Mr. Ping. The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five slammed to a halt as the former's father pattered up to them, carrying an enormous pack about twice his own size.

"Xiao Po! I got you a travel bag," he said, dropping the pack at his feet. The contents spilled out as the top flipped open. "I packed you food for weeks - cookies, buns, vegetables - " He tossed a cabbage back into the bag, then pulled out something small and orange. "And I even packed all your action figures." With a smile, he held out the orange thing - it was a figure of Tigress.

Wow… she looked over at her comrade. Tigress had been given many awed bows by the citizens of the Valley, and been offered many thanks for giving them her protection, but she had never before seen an action figure of herself. Po was mumbling something in embarrassed denial, but she was flattered beyond words. The Dragon Warrior really was a big fan.

"Ho, hoo hoo!" Monkey chortled, pointing a finger at the action figure. But Tigress shook her head and swiped his hand away, smiling to herself. Monkey would not make fun of him - either of them - for this, if he knew what was good for him.

She led the Five out of the way so Po could say goodbye to his father. She pretended not to listen to Mr. Ping proclaim his concerns for Po's safety as she gazed up at the Jade Palace on the mountain, watching the sun gently slide behind it. They needed to be on their way if they wanted to cover any ground before nightfall.

"Po," she said, looking down at him. He looked… crestfallen. "It's time."

"Goodbye," he mumbled to Mr. Ping, and shouldered the pack. The look on his face was so tumultuous, she felt her stomach drop a little. What was wrong? First in the Musician's Village, and now… what was on his mind?

But the look on Mr. Ping's face was almost worse. He watched his son walk away from him, his eyes wide with worry.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ping," she told him. The Dragon Warrior would come home alive and well - she would do everything in her power to see to that. "He'll be back before you can say 'noodles'." And with another smile, she turned on her heel to follow her friends.

They were already far enough away that she didn't hear the forlorn goose murmur, "Noodles." The Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior bounded away from the Valley of Peace, and toward the ill-fated Gongmen City.


	10. Chapter 10: Nerves of Steel

CHAPTER TEN

Nerves of Steel

It was the most peaceful evening the Valley had ever seen. The stars were bright, and the breeze was warm as it fluttered through the pink petals of the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Tigress stood by the trunk, watching Oogway perform his meditative tai chi. There wasn't a sound on the mountain where they stood.

Oogway stopped. The light above him turned to gold, and suddenly, he lifted one claw-like pointer upward. "Look," he said, "the moon is full."

Tigress looked - but it wasn't the moon anymore. It was the light of the sun, like a ball of white hot fire...

"_He came in glory on a ball of fire!" _Oogway chuckled. Squinting, she looked down again - but he was gone.

"Master - ?"

"Whooooaaaa." The enraptured voice behind her made her turn. Po stood there, his eyes wide as he looked not at the place where Oogway had disappeared, but up at the golden, white hot fire. Just as suddenly as he appeared, however, his face changed to an expression that filled Tigress with immense worry.

"Po, get away," she told him. But though he stood right beside her, he didn't seem to hear her. His green eyes grim and determined, he ran and rolled so fast towards the edge of the cliff, he was like a round, black and white swirling blur… like an eternal symbol she knew very well… until he stopped at the edge, poised in his signature Dragon stance.

"Po!" she shouted, but still he didn't listen - she reached a paw out to stop him, but the white hot ball of fire seared its light and nearly blinded her - and then she saw it falling, careening towards him, faster than a lightning bolt -

She tried to say his name again and push him out of its path, but she wasn't fast enough. In fact, she was moving so slowly, she felt like she was running in deep water. "_Do not be afraid, Tigress," _said Oogway's voice in her ear. But she was very afraid. She couldn't move, and she had to act now, she had to stop it - she couldn't watch him just...

She stretched out her arm - her heart felt like it would burst - but she could only look on as the ball of fire descended upon the Dragon Warrior, and all was lost -

"NO!"

Tigress choked the word back in her throat as her eyes flew open.

She wasn't on the cliff. She wasn't at the Jade Palace. Oogway was gone. She was inside the warm little boat, bound for Gongmen City.

She took several long, deep breaths.

Well. She'd been having this… nightmare off and on for quite a while now. But never like this.

Tigress closed her eyes again and continued breathing. It was bad enough they were heading toward a city of fireworks, held captive by a weapon so powerful, it could stop kung fu. It was bad enough that it had already taken the life of one of the most prolific kung fu legends of all time, Master Thundering Rhino.

Tigress slowed her breathing further, gently flexing her paws. If he was one of the most stalwart, impenetrable warriors, and he couldn't survive it… could they?

She relaxed her wrists. They were a team. Together, they would make sure the weapon would be destroyed. That was their mission. The Dragon Warrior and the Five would do everything in their power to make sure everyone made it home safe - but she knew that despite the danger and the potential cost, their mission was to destroy it, save China, and bring Lord Shen to justice.

Lord Shen… she was certain she'd never heard that name before, but it tickled something in the back of her brain. Like it was from a story or legend she'd heard once in her early childhood, surrounded by hushed whispers... but she couldn't remember. As far as she could tell, he was the son of the peacocks who'd once ruled the city, but been banished - probably because of his power-hungry behavior. But now he was back and had taken the city with a vengeance.

And that's why they were here.

Tigress let out a minute sigh. She had never felt so much uncertainty around a mission before. But she wasn't alone. With the Furious Five, and the Dragon Warrior to lead with his unconventional plans and unwavering spirit, they'd -

"AaaAuUgh!"

Tigress's ear twitched. The cry died out, and she heard the troubled thumps of Po's limbs on the base boards as he sat up, then left the group's sleeping quarters to step out onto the bow.

She must not have been the only one having a bad dream.

She sat up. With more silence than the gentle breeze on the river outside, Tigress left the shelter through the stern side and leapt on top, facing the mast. She crouched in the dark and looked down.

Po stood under the sail. He was practicing what looked like Master Oogway's water challenge… a challenge she'd seen him teach Shifu time and time again. Its practice gave you the ability to roll a single droplet of water from the sky off your limbs and down onto the ground again. At least, that might _appear_ to be the goal. She smiled ruefully. She knew the real goal was internal. Mastery of this practice was only an indication of your perfect harmony with the divine, the universe, and within yourself.

But judging by the way he now yelled in frustration as he ran in circles around the bow and then pounded his forehead into the mast, he wasn't getting close to any of the above.

She stood and cleared her throat. "Ahem."

Po looked up at her, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "Oh - I'm, uh," he tapped his paws into a hold fist salute, "training."

Tigress gave him a small, knowing smile, as she held her paw against the sturdy wooden beam in front of her. "The mast is not a worthy opponent." Something was bothering him, that much had been evident for several days now. It troubled her, but he wasn't going to talk to the Five about it. Now that it was just the two of them awake, she might get a chance to coax it out of him. She launched herself into the air and landed perfectly on the bow in front of him, poised, and held her paw in front of him. "I am ready."

"Okay." Po shuffled back a little bit. "So serious," he mumbled, then mustered his strength and launched the most powerful punch he could against the flat of her paw.

It sounded like a thunderclap across the river. "Yeehahaowww!" he shrieked. He pulled back and knelt down, nursing his bruised knuckle. "I think I prefer the mast."

"Apologies." She looked down at her paw. Funny, he'd hit her padded palm with the firmest part of his paw, and yet he was hurt far more. "I used to punch the ironwood trees by the palace to train," she told him. She hadn't really realized just how much number her nerves were until now. She had gotten used to the pain. "Now," she looked back at him, dropping her paw to her side, "I feel nothing."

Po gazed up at her, mouth agape. "That is severely cool."

The Dragon Warrior never could fail to make her smile. Tigress bowed her head. He'd never understand what his admiration meant to her. But she wasn't about to let him off the hook. Firm, she held up her palm. "Again."

Po punched his fists and feet at Tigress's paw, starting a routine, loose training session. "So, uh," he said, "this punching iron wood trees - how long did ya have to do that?"

His fist met her palm again. She held it as she answered, "Twenty years," with a little smirk.

Sure enough, he shrunk back. "Oh... twenty - twenty years. Yeewssh," he shuddered. "Is there any, ya know - faster way until you don't - you know - feel anything?"

She smiled at him. "No. And besides - " She clutched his fist, redirected his force, and sent him spinning down onto the floor of the bow. She watched his cushioned impact as he landed stomach up, a little dazed. "I don't think hard style is… your thing."

He glanced at his belly. "Oh," he said. The truth was, Tigress would never want him to change it - to do so would rid him of his greatest strengths. He had to know that by now. But now wasn't the time to discuss that - she watched him slowly sit up, his eyes retreating once again to that far off place of worry.

She knelt next to him."Po, why are you really out here?"

The answer she got was not one she expected. "I just found out that my dad - isn't really my dad." Po grimaced at her.

She furrowed her brow. "Your dad - the goose."

He nodded. About a hundred thoughts went through her head at once - this whole time, he was raised by a goose - and hadn't known he was adopted? Had this been the thing that was worrying him so much recently? Just like her, he didn't know who his real parents were either? Did he have any understanding of how biology worked? But eventually she just settled on the sentiment, "That must have been quite a shock."

He paused, then nodded again. "Yeah."

Tigress watched him closely. "And this bothers you?" She leaned closer. If it did, she wanted to know why; she hoped that it would no longer drive him to distraction, but she was also curious for her own reasons…

The Dragon Warrior's eyes widened a bit. "Are you kidding me? We're warriors, right?" he shrugged confidently, then straightened. "Nerves of steel! Souls of platinum!" A smile spread across his face when he looked back at her. "Like you! So hard core, you don't feel anything."

Po chuckled and landed a friendly punch on her shoulder, but she didn't notice. His words had stopped her heart for a moment - he really thought that she didn't feel anything? That the numbed nerves in her limbs meant she felt nothing inside either? After he'd shown her the wisdom of the Dragon Scroll? After everything they'd been through together? This was how he really saw her… An emotionless warrior of steel. Hard core, like… like the peach stone. Yes, she had always wanted to be indestructible, impenetrable warrior, but that didn't mean…

'_For someone with such a vibrant inner life, Tigress, you are too concerned with what can only be seen on the surface_.' More of Oogway's final words to her slid to the front of her memory without warning. True, she generally didn't like to share her innermost thoughts and feelings with her comrades unless it served them. But it would seem that she spent so much time training her body to be as unyielding as steel, she had unconsciously trained herself to hide all show of inner feeling as well. Much like her dear Master Shifu once had... But that didn't mean it wasn't there. Yet it shocked her to think that Po, out of all of them, thought of her this way. And it frankly distressed her a bit too. He was open and warm to her in a way that no one else had ever been. He was the reason Master Shifu was at peace… He had shown her how to be better than herself…. Didn't he know how much he had changed her life?

But it was clear he wasn't going to open up more if she wasn't. She opened her mouth. "I was…"

"So, what are you guys talking about?"

Tigress's ears flattened as Mantis unexpectedly emerged from the shelter of the boat, followed by Viper, and Crane.

"Nothing…" Po said nervously. "Nothing."

Viper gave him a look, then turned to Crane. "Po's having Daddy Issues."

Tigress's tail flicked to the side. How much had they heard? She looked over her shoulder as Mantis said contentedly, "Man, I'm so lucky, I don't have any problems with my dad. Maybe it's cuz Mom ate his head before I was born. I dunno!"

"Mantis!" Viper hissed. "This isn't about you! Po is the one freaking out."

Tigress turned fully to face the pointed bow of the little boat. In the distance, the sun was rising - and in front of it, loomed the silhouette of an assemblance of extravagant buildings…

"I'm not freaking out," Po assured them in a low voice.

"Po," Tigress said softly.

"I'm freaking - in!"

She turned to him. "Po!"

"What?"

"We're here." The others followed her gaze to see the sprawling maze of a once-thriving city. "Gongmen City."

Their travels had come to an end. Regardless of the nightmares they endured: whatever happened next, the fate of their mission - of their lives, and of kung fu - would be met here.

* * *

Author's Note

Thanks again, TheAlienHeart, Ace-Risk, gsmith1030, Th3F4lcon-Bl4ckBlu3, Left for Red, 3431jess, Mystery, and ThunderyAsh625 for your wonderful, thoughtful reviews!


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